Areté 2: Sovereign of the Storm (Part 1)
by Star Quill Society
Summary: Everyone has a past, secrets and Lightning and Gaia share a painful one. But fate does not stop at one calamity and when demons return from their past, they'll have to share those secrets. The stakes are higher than ever and as the heroes prepare for war, they'll have to call on allies old and new to end a regime of mythical nightmares that have existed for far too long.
1. Episode 1 Part 1: Conference

_Welcome to the Second Season of the Star Quill Society's Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga! It's been a long... two years?...since Season 1 but we finally got our writing muses in check. The group was slammed by the need to attend to the chores of real life, we took a break to refresh ourselves, reorganized and rallied to get this thing done and the news stands as follows._

_Mirror's Mirage is now a part-timer, still providing suggestions and ideas and editing but for the most part will no longer be writing episodes as often._

_Philosophizes has resigned due to said life chores. It is unknown if she will return for later seasons._

_Peonywinx is head coordinator of the collaboration and the music selector for Season 2._

_Dranzer's Inferno/Kayegee is head coordinator of the wikia which remains up and running and shall now be updated accordingly. (I hope)_

_We have two new members! CharmedSerenity and Tokyolove. We welcome them._

_Due to the delay and constant interference from 'Life', the SQS decided to divide Season 2 into two parts. Season 2 consists of nine episodes which have three to four parts. For Season 2 Part 1, Mirror's Mirage and Philosophizes did write episodes though Peonywinx is credited with writing half of Season 2, Part 1. For Season 2, Part 2, CharmedSerenity and Tokyolove will be making their writing debut. Mirror's Mirage will write one episode in part 2._

_We will keep readers updated on the status of the Season through our profile so we encourage you to go look at it. You can also look at our wikia for bonus information. Further details will be on the profile page._

_Season 2 (Part 1) will have about 32 chapters and will be posted EVERY DAY from now until... the 14th of February. Please note that it may be posted at various times throughout the day._

_And now without further ado, The Legion of Superheroes Areté Saga - Sovereign of the Storm! Enjoy and kindly review when you're done. :)_

* * *

Full Summary: Lightning and Gaia, Legionnaire and Caligine Knight, are two formidable opponents in their own right but even more so together for they know each other better than anyone else, sharing a past, pain, and secrets that only they know. But the secretive bond they share and the nightmares of their past casts long shadows thanks to their escape from Sovereign Academy approximately six/seven years ago in 3005.

With the very future they had a fought to obtain at risk, the Knights and the Legionnaires find themselves forced to re-evaluate their old friends as the villainous Sovereign Syndicate makes their move to reconstruct their crumbling power base in the face of a bold rebellion. With the reappearance of old enemies, Lightning, Gaia, and their respective teams accept aid from allies old and new to save the future of innocents and bring about the downfall of a centuries old regime that has plagued the galaxy as mythical nightmares for far too long.

Season Theme Song: Two Steps From Hell - Moving Mountains

* * *

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm (Part 1)**

Episode 1: Poisoned Crown – Part 1: Conference

_Song: Suspense – Marco Carola_

* * *

February 11th, 3011

_~A Cave, Somewhere in the Eastern Midlands; 09:00~_

* * *

_"The whole of New Metropolis is still celebrating Legionnaire Cosmic Wave's acquittal in his case against Tamaran. Prince Jorand'r himself has issued a full apology for suspecting Cosmic Wave's involvement in his capture, and with the Tamaran-Thanagar Treaty being officially signed at the Ambassadorial Summit meeting today, the United Planets has high hopes for a peaceful series of meetings until the Summit's end in March._

_"Also, today, February 11th, is Cosmic Wave's birthday, and we would all like to wish him a happy birthday._

_"In other news, local Science Police are attempting to track down the remaining factions of the Neo Kobra Cult, who disappeared soon after the Battle of the Chuku Embassy. Chief Norg has stated that there will be severe retribution for anyone harboring or sheltering any Kobra members…"_

Snorting in disgust, Queen Kobra turned off the holo-screen with an impatient flick of her hand. She didn't need the news to remind her of her failure at the Ambassadorial Summit.

The Queen Kobra was an imposing figure at least six feet in height. She wore an ankle-length dark green cloak lined in black in the interior and stitched with broad bands of gold on the outside. Under the cloak she wore a long-sleeved linen shirt of green and matching green pants. She went barefoot. The hood of the cloak was pushed back to reveal her white-as-death face – long, with full yet pale lips; a rounded, narrow jaw; and high cheekbones. The left side of her face was patterned with pearl-colored snake scales that trailed from her eye to her jaw. Her eyes flickered from amber to green and were narrowed into snake-like slits.

It was unfortunate that all of her strength and intimidation had failed to bring her people to rein, resulting in their ridiculously panicked flight as if they were animals and resultant capture by the Legion.

The Dhavmere and their Knight allies were truly a blight to her – always interfering in her plans. The Legion wouldn't have been nearly as successful without their help.

"Exalted One?"

Queen Kobra turned to see one of her most trusted lieutenants, Snaketongue, standing near her. He was a Chameleian with a dark blue hide, his spinal ridge trailing from the tip of his nose, down his back, and extending slowly into a hefty tail that kept him balanced on jointed reptilian legs.  
While all her forces on Earth had been arrested by the Science Police, she still had backup contingents across the galaxy, and she had been calling them in. Besides herself, Snaketongue was the highest-ranked Kobra not in jail.

"Yes?"

"They are ready in the conference room." Snaketongue's use of the word 'room' was not entirely accurate, as recent events had forced Queen Kobra and her remaining agents to hide in a series of connected caves in the wilderness. The 'conference room' was merely a large, underground cavern that was attached to the main cave via a tunnel. Despite the somewhat lacking accommodations, however, Queen Kobra had to admit the cave hideout was rather well-equipped, considering it was at least ten miles away from any city.

"Good." Queen Kobra rose. Together with Snaketongue, she made her way down the tunnel.

The dimly-lit cavern was perhaps the most furnished area in the entire network of caves. A long table filled its interior, while several computer monitors were mounted on the walls. Queen Kobra cast an appraising eye over the people gathered at the table.

There was a clear line dividing the two groups at the table. On one side, clearly the larger unit, were all the Kobras who were left in her employ, along with their Chameleian counterparts. These had responded quickly to her call, flocking discreetly to Earth in separate packs. Snaketongue took his place at the head of that group, second only to the chair reserved for the Queen herself.

On the other side, much smaller in number, were Neo Kobra's Sovereign allies. Unbeknownst to the Legion, Neo Kobra had not been operating alone at the Ambassadorial Summit.

Eve Aries, headmistress of Sovereign Academy, leader of the Sovereign Syndicate that ruled the Academy, and self-proclaimed Imperial Ruler of the wandering planetoid Guruhi on which SA had made its home, smiled at Queen Kobra with green eyes that complimented her vibrant red hair and fair skin. Queen Kobra sat down at her place on the opposite side of the table with a glare at the other woman, but Eve appeared to be unfazed by the disgraced criminal mastermind.

"Well, that was a lovely show, wasn't it?" Eve smiled, ignoring the hostile looks from their allies.

There was many a time – such as this one – when Queen Kobra was tempted to slit the headmistress' throat herself – but Eve was a telepath, and it was hard enough to shield her mind from her as it was. Many a Sovereign cadet had been brainwashed by Eve, making them believe they were her children in order to satisfy her overpowering desire for motherhood. Queen Kobra had no desire to become one of them – or to be subjected to Eve's other abilities.

"A lovely show, Eve? That was a disaster."

"I quite agree," Eve sneered, and Queen Kobra had to restrain herself from making a cutting remark. The last thing she needed right now was to make Eve angry.

The only thing the two groups had in common – besides making a career out of a criminal enterprise – was their shared hatred for organized hero groups; the Kobrans had the Knights of Caligine (and more recently, the Legion of Superheroes), and the Sovereign Syndicate had the Outriders of Dawn – a determined group of cadets who had rebelled against Sovereign's rule, causing mass uprisings and an ongoing underground civil war against fierce guerrilla fighters and their contingents of spies.

"It's about time you got here," Eve continued, changing the subject, seemingly oblivious to Queen Kobra's annoyance. "We have much to discuss."

"I was watching the news," the Kobra queen replied.

"What are they saying?" Anbar, Eve's favorite 'child', leaned forward eagerly, amber eyes glimmering with sparks of lightning, sharp yellowed teeth bared viciously.

Queen Kobra frowned. Anbar was a psychotic, unpredictable young man with disturbing vampiric tendencies and black hair that stuck up as if he had been electrocuted - which was accurate considering his abilities. Amber-colored lightning constantly shimmered on his copper skin, in his hair, twining around his body and settling in his bones. Queen Kobra did owe him for the Factory debacle, when he had followed Eve's orders to watch her – but he was still a loose cannon, and the older Dhavmere brother had looked as if he had recognized the boy. But that was impossible unless that girl had given him a very precise description.

"The only thing about the Legion was that they're celebrating Cosmic Wave's acquittal," she responded. Her lips curled into a sneer of disgust. "And that it's his birthday."

"Nothing about Garth?" Anbar looked disappointed.

"No."

"Don't worry, my dear," Eve said, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder as he scowled. "You'll get him when the time is right."

The metallic man next to her snorted. "You are of a different opinion, General Arn?" Eve asked.

General Arn – a bio-mercury being from the planet Tanshu who needed neither food, drink, nor sleep – raised his head. "It was supposed to be Cagn's time – she was sitting there, waiting for death – and at the last moment, she fought back and overpowered me."

"Ah, Cagn." Eve waved a dismissive hand. "She can't hide forever."

"Nevertheless, the question still remains," interjected Queen Kobra, "as to what our plan will be."

"The Legion has proved a greater opponent than we first thought," Eve mused, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I'm impressed. Garth has put his training to good use – what an asset he will be when we get him under our power."

"Don't forget the Knights of Caligine," Queen Kobra reminded her.

"Yes," Eve agreed, leaning back in her chair. "The Knights. Adeola."

It had taken some time to get answers about the girl's activities in the last few years. Adeola had vanished the very moment she had been separated from Garth (or Inazuma, as he was known at Sovereign) four years ago, after escaping Sovereign – only to be stumbled upon by Sovereign's agent Quain Yla (who had been punished for failure) at the Opening Ceremony of the Ambassadorial Summit when he was searching for Garth. With the exception of the Dhavmere, the Knights had never shown their faces. But eventually, through much telepathic probing, vocal questioning, and reviewing of past battles via holoscopedia(1), the Kobrans had begun to remember encounters, battle styles, quotes – and the picture was formed. Eve now knew Adeola was the Lady Caligine Knight Gaia, and quite formidable in her own right.

"If you ask me, the Dhavmere are the most dangerous members of that group," said Queen Kobra. Eve shrugged indifferently.

"Perhaps," she said, "but my quarrel is not with them. I only want Adeola."

"They will make it their quarrel," said Queen Kobra. "If you go after..." Queen Kobra paused, unsure what to call her. "...Gaia, you will make yourself their enemy. They will fight for her, fight back."

"You have a point," Eve conceded. "So, what I propose we do is –"

"Excuse me?" Queen Kobra interrupted. "What you propose? I am the one who has been dealing with the Knights. While you worked behind the lines carrying out your own secret plans, my Kobras were the ones who fought against the Legion and Knights."

"And Sovereign offered you sanctuary after Neo Kobra's defeat," Eve added, eyes glinting. "Can you honestly tell me that this" – she swept a hand at the underground room – "is not up to, if not higher than, your standards?"

"It is an excellent hideout," Queen Kobra agreed. "However, with all due respect, after months of battle with the Knights and Legionnaires, I possess some knowledge of their techniques and fighting skills."

"And I know Garth and Adeola," said Eve.

"If I may interrupt?" Leviathan interjected, ignoring Anbar's withering glare. Leviathan, another of Eve's 'children', was an anthropomorphic water serpent. His body was covered in grayish-blue scales and he had fins on his head, along his back, and down to the end of his long tail. His bare feet had webs between the toes; his legs were long and lean, structured like the predatory dinosaurs of Earth's past; and his hands were delicate, but strong, with sharp claws. A clear neckguard full of water wrapped around his gills.

"Of course," Eve granted. "You know I respect your opinions."

"Adeola has evaded all attempts to find her for the past several years – up until the point when Quain found her – and Garth has amassed a contingent of reliable comrades around him. It is obvious now that Adeola has done the same, possibly on an even greater scale. We cannot underestimate either of them. They have grown, seen things outside the Academy – and they fought for this life they have; they will feel that they have a right to keep it."

General Arn snorted again; it seemed to be his favorite sound.

"If they feel threatened," Leviathan continued, ignoring Arn, "they will do everything in their power to fight us and use everything they have learned. They have grown from the fearful children who fled Guruhi."

Everyone paused to think.

"An excellent point, Leviathan," Eve praised.

"And the Outriders have become more resourceful as well," he added.

Eve was forcibly reminded of the group that had forced the Sovereign Syndicate to take an interest in galactic affairs, and she scowled before resuming her calm expression.

"Heroes," a Boomslang(2) sneered. There were murmurs of agreement.

"Queen Kobra." Eve turned to face her. "We both have similar problems, similar goals – to take back what was ours. If we cooperate, surely we can come up with a plan that will give both of us what we want."

Queen Kobra held Eve's gaze for several seconds before acquiescing. "Of course, Eve."

"If I may," Snaketongue interjected, "we have a substantial number of Kobras on Earth now, but we lack good leaders. Might I propose we liberate one or two commanders from Sci-Pol custody?"

"Not a bad idea." Queen Kobra looked thoughtful.

"In fact, I have a few in mind already," Snaketongue continued.

"Not Madame Diamondback," Queen Kobra said immediately. "She has disgraced herself far too many times already."

"Of course not," said Snaketongue. "I was thinking of Viper and Captain Adder."

"Hmm…yes, those two are quite proficient. Very well, I agree. See to it, Snaketongue."

"I have a better idea," said Eve. "We'll send the Assassins instead." She inclined her head to the five silent figures at the end of the table – Silver Slasher, Titania, Neutrax, Lazon, and Mist Master – Sovereign's trained assassin society, all of them masters of stealth and killing.

Queen Kobra smiled. "Eve, it's when you come up with a fabulous idea like that, that I know why I'm in partnership with you."

* * *

_End Episode 1.1_

(1) Holoscopedia: short for Holographic Scope Encylopedia. A holoscopedia is a holographic device that aids one in gathering, analyzing and understanding information. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and go by different names such as holodisks or holonarras (holographic narrartions).

(2) Boomslang: lowest-ranking Kobra foot soldier


	2. Episode 1 Part 2: Breakout

**A/N: Thanks to supersoda for reviewing on the first chapter!**

* * *

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Peonywinx and Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm (Part 1)**

Episode 1: Poisoned Crown – Part 2: Breakout

_Song: Sanctuary Is Lost – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

February 14th, 3011

_~New Metropolis, Stryker's Island; 21:25~_

* * *

Valentine's Day in New Metropolis was a big deal for a lot of people, despite the usually chilly weather at that time of year. Many citizens would take off from work to spend time with their special someone, and neither wind, rain, snow, nor hail could stop them from having their fun.

Of course, most people weren't the Assassins.

The five Assassins of Sovereign Academy had been brought together by Eve several years ago. Each of them had their own abilities and skills, and together, there was almost no one who could thwart them.

The leader of the Assassins was Silver Slasher, a young woman with platinum blonde hair and silvery-gray metallic skin that made it less likely for her to be injured than for her to slash someone's throat with her retractable razor claws. Right now she was waiting outside the city jail with three of her Assassins while the fourth found out where their targets were.

"Viper's in cell 2081; Captain Adder's in 1902," Lazon said quietly as he transmuted back from his light form. As someone who could turn into any form of light at will, Lazon was the ideal tracker; his power enabled him to travel undetected and light up dark places – like the city jail. "There aren't that many guards."

"Good. That way you don't need me to smash their skulls in," said Titania. Strong as the average Kryptonian or Daxamite, Titania nevertheless disliked being used to simply crush things. She was also Silver Slasher's cousin.

"But you do it so well," Lazon said teasingly.

"I agree with Titania," said Silver Slasher. "Let's see if we can draw them out before we knock them out. Stealth is the key here."

"A lot of Sci-Pol probably applied for leave tonight." Mist Master, the Assassin second-in-command, smiled knowingly, winking at Silver Slasher.

"Keep your head in the game, Mist Master," she told him firmly, fully aware of what he was implying. Mist Master's love life alternated between Titania and herself – if he was off with one he was on with the other. At the moment, he was on with Silver Slasher.

"Are any of the Sci-Pol guards metabeings?" Neutrax inquired. He was the team's resident tech genius, even though he almost never got out of his floating chair and always wore dark sunglasses, even at night. He could also instantly neutralize any superpower.

"No," Lazon replied. "Just ordinary police. Should be easy to take care of."

"Then let's go." Silver Slasher snuck in the door and in a flash, was out of the receptionist's sight. Lazon changed into light and followed. Titania and Neutrax waited for Mist Master to transform into an opaque gas to shield their passage through the reception area.

If the receptionist noticed the pink gas that trailed across the room, she either thought nothing about it, or passed it off as a Valentine's Day prank.

"The cells are located on sublevels," Lazon informed them. "We'll need a Sci-Pol card to gain access to the turbolift."

"Then it's a good thing we've already got one, isn't it?" Neutrax withdrew an ID chip he had lifted from one of the Science Police at the NMPD earlier.

"Let's go," said Silver Slasher, making her way to the turbolift.

Neutrax used the stolen ID chip to open the lift, and they all stepped in.

"We'll split up," Silver Slasher said. "Lazon and I will break out Viper. The rest of you take Captain Adder."

The turbolift stopped at Sublevel 1, the doors opening with a whoosh, and Titania, Neutrax, and Mist Master stepped out.

"Rendezvous point?" Mist Master inquired.

"If all goes well, Shuster Park. Otherwise, back at base," replied Silver Slasher, just before the doors closed and the turbolift descended again.

Mist Master turned to the other two. "You heard the lady," he said. "Let's go break out an adder."

* * *

Silver Slasher and Lazon didn't say a word to each other as they crept down one of the many passageways of Sublevel 2. They were trained assassins; they knew what to do without having to discuss it. Soon enough, they came to the cell block.

Here, Silver Slasher stopped to think. Once they entered, there would be Sci-Pol guards at every corner. Silver Slasher wanted to avoid any confrontations, if possible. Their mission today was retrieval, not murder.

Looking around, she glanced up and caught sight of a hydro-sprinkler.

"Lazon…"

Lazon nodded and transformed into a ray of hot light, using Silver Slasher's reflective metal skin to direct himself to just below the sprinkler.

The effect was instantaneous. The single sprinkler activated, spraying bursts of chemical-inundated water to put out a nonexistent fire while the alarm system turned on and blared warningly throughout the building. The two Assassins melted into the shadows while Science Police poured out from the cell block, searching for the cause of the fire alarm.

When every guard had abandoned his post to investigate, they quietly slipped into the cell block.

* * *

Titania pressed herself against the wall as Science Police ran out from cell blocks at the sound of the fire alarm. In their hurry, they didn't notice either her, Neutrax, or Mist Master.

"What did they do?" Titania demanded, referring to her cousin and Lazon.

"Well, Slasher _said_ she wanted to draw them out," chuckled Mist Master. "This makes it a bit easier for us."

He led them down the corridor until they reached the cell they were looking for. Surprisingly, there were still a few Sci-Pol guards in the area.

"You're not authorized to be in here!" a guard accused, aiming his gun at them. "Put your hands in the air."

Titania snorted as she punched him out. "Not likely."

Mist Master evaporated into a colorless poison gas and floated towards the Sci-Pol to suffocate them. Neutrax pulled out a laser gun and started shooting down officers with hardly a glance. Titania used her strength to beat up the rest.

"Come on," said Mist Master, coalescing back into his human form. "Our way's completely clear now."

* * *

Getting to Viper's cell was extremely easy after the Science Police had vacated their positions. Silver Slasher and Lazon encountered no resistance at all as they made their way to where the Kobra was imprisoned. Viper looked up as they approached.

"Good news for you, Viper; your queen's decided you're useful enough to set free," Silver Slasher said.

Viper smiled. "Her Exaltedness is very wise." She glanced quizzically at them. "I might have guessed you set off the fire alarm."

"Tsk, tsk." Lazon lifted something off a hook. "They left the keys here. Not very good at their jobs, are they?" He located the right keychip within seconds and unlocked the door.

_"Mist Master to Silver Slasher. We've got Captain Adder,"_ Mist Master's voice informed her over her earbud communicator.

"Copy that, Mist Master. We're on our way out." Silver Slasher jerked her head towards the exit. "Let's go."

* * *

_End Episode 1.2_


	3. Episode 1 Part 3: Motives

**A/N: Again, thanks goes out to supersoda for her reviews! :D**

* * *

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Peonywinx and Mirror's Mirage_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

** Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 1: Poisoned Crown – Part 3: Motives

_Song: With An Iron Fist – Immediate Music_

* * *

February 15th, 3011

_~Eastern Midlands, Sovereign-Kobra Hideout; 02:43~ _

* * *

"Excellent work, Assassins," Eve praised. "Once again, you prove how good you are at your job."

Even Queen Kobra had to agree with that. "Yes, and you have my thanks," she added, glancing sideways at Viper and Captain Adder, who were both on their knees before her. "And what have you to say for yourselves?" she asked them.

The two Kobrans winced. Queen Kobra was not known for her forgiveness of failures. The fact that she had opted to break them out of jail after they were foolish enough to be arrested in the first place was a near-miracle.

"Our humblest apologies, Exalted One," Captain Adder ventured with feeling. "We were imprudent, and we paid for it. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," said Queen Kobra. "There will not be another chance for you."

"Your Exaltedness is most understanding," murmured Viper, eyes downcast.

"Get off the ground. We've got things to discuss." Queen Kobra swept out of the room, heading for the conference hall, accompanied by Eve and the Assassins. Viper and Captain Adder glanced at each other before rising and following.

"Now that we're at full force again…" Queen Kobra began, flicking her eyes at Viper and Captain Adder and back again, "we need to decide what we're going to do about the Knights and the Legion."

"We've already established that the Legionnaires and Knights, especially together, are formidable opponents," said General Arn.

"Yes, but we're better," said Eve. "Now, look." She leaned forward in her chair. "They think Neo Kobra's gone, don't they?"

"The Dhavmere are aware that I escaped, and I've no doubt they told the others about it," Queen Kobra corrected.

"What are Dhavmere?" Silver Slasher asked interestedly.

"Dark beings from an alternate Earth called Sanctum," Queen Kobra explained, softly. "They are the most powerful of the Knights. I believe their home ground is in the fifth dimension, as Bgtzl is in the fourth."

"They stole half her force out from under her very nose the last time she met them," Anbar added with an amused lilt to his voice. Queen Kobra's eyes flashed, and she scowled.

"You were at the factory as well as I, _boy_. If _you_had faced them, I doubt you would have come out any better," she retorted disdainfully. "They are extremely powerful and are not to be underestimated."

"No one is to be underestimated," Eve said, eyeing Queen Kobra with dangerous eyes, her motherly protectiveness rising to the surface at the animosity towards Anbar. "Especially not Anbar or any other Sovereign agent."

Anbar grinned cockily at Queen Kobra, who turned her face away so as not to look at him.  
"_If_we can get back to business…" she said icily.

"I suggest we establish a perimeter," Snaketongue spoke up, secure in his position as Queen Kobra's second-in-command; his rank was higher than that of Viper or Captain Adder.

"Perimeter of what?" Leviathan asked.

"Of Kobrans, of course," Snaketongue answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We are trained in espionage and sneak activities – and since the Legion and Knights are unaware that Neo Kobra still maintains a significant force, we should be able to keep watch on them with no trouble. That will give us warning if they start to notice that Neo Kobra is not as dead as they thought, and will also alert us to any division in their ranks that we can capitalize on."

"They are a tightly knit group, Snaketongue," General Arn said patiently. "There is no 'division' in their ranks."

"No group is so perfect that they are not vulnerable to rifts and disagreements," Snaketongue disagreed. "If we can find a sufficiently major one to compound, we can weaken them from the inside out."

"I know for a fact that Garth and Adeola have not entrusted the secret of their past with Sovereign to any of their teammates," said Eve. "Except perhaps the Dhavmere Black Eternity. That one seems entirely too well-versed with Sovereign for my comfort." She frowned.

"Oh, please let me be part of the perimeter," Anbar requested with a fanatic gleam in his eye. "Playing with mountain bird's psyche is what I do best."

"Mountain bird?" Viper asked.

"Adeola," Eve translated dismissively. "If that's what you want, of course you may, Anbar dear."

"Excuse me while I gag," Queen Kobra muttered. Eve and Anbar took no notice.

"We must also prepare our forces for a retrieval mission," continued Eve. "Once we manage to separate Garth and Adeola from the rest of their teammates, we can swoop in and kidnap them, and our objective will be complete."

"And where does Neo Kobra come into this?" Queen Kobra questioned.

Eve shrugged. "What is it you want?" the Sovereign headmistress responded. "Money? Revenge? Trading posts?"

"Business," Queen Kobra replied briskly. "We have been aiding you a lot lately, but nothing comes for free."

"Is that so?" Eve raised an eyebrow. "So what do you want? Get to the point, Queen Kobra – we don't have all day."

Anbar sniggered. Queen Kobra ignored him. "I need somewhere safe where I can regroup my team and start afresh after this is over."

"And you think _I _can get you such a place?"

"You rule a wandering planetoid," Queen Kobra pointed out. "I want asylum."

Eve's eyebrows rose higher. "On Guruhi?"

Queen Kobra snorted. "Like that's a safe place, with the Outriders rebelling and wrecking havoc every chance they've got. No – I'm sure you've got a nice, safe, alternative base somewhere. I want that one."

Eve coolly examined Queen Kobra. "We do have one like that, as a matter of fact – it's another wandering planetoid. We call it Ihurug."

"Guruhi spelled backwards," Queen Kobra noted. "Clever."

"Supposing I agree to this," said Eve, "for how long will you be on Ihurug?"

"Six months ought to do it. After that Neo Kobra will be out of your hair for good."

"Don't interfere with Sovereign affairs," Eve warned.

"Believe me, I've no inclination to."

"This will be interesting," General Arn remarked.

"So is that it?" Anbar asked. "Six months asylum on Ihurug for your help in capturing Garth and Adeola?"

"Yes." Queen Kobra nodded.

"Well, then, Queen Kobra…" Eve smiled. "You have yourself a deal."

"A suggestion," Leviathan interrupted. Eve gave him a nod to continue. "We'll need someone close to Garth whom we can manipulate. Perhaps Adeola as well."

Eve sighed. "Adeola is far more paranoid and cautious than Garth. We know nothing of her origins or those of her parents due to the idiocy of our Collectors..." She shook her head. "Therefore, we cannot track any family members,and she has covered her tracks well. Garth, however..."

"No problem. Mekt Ranzz is Lightning's brother," Silver Slasher announced. "We've met them both before."

"Good." Eve smiled. "Then we'll need a small team to retrieve him and bring him to our side."

"Exalted One, we did recently hire the services of the assassin Monica Sade," Snaketongue offered. "She can teleport naturally."

Queen Kobra paused, thinking. "We do need a replacement for Calandra…pity we had to kill her."

"May we borrow this Sade woman?" Eve asked.

"I'll go with her," Titania volunteered with a small smile. "I have a little score to settle with Mekt."

"Very well," Eve granted. "Make me proud."

* * *

_~Mars, Canyon City; MCOT (Mars Central Ocean Time) 11:65/20 (11.5 out of 20)~_

_(01:26 EST)_

* * *

The Martian day was twenty hours long, with seventy-four minutes each. The year was twice as long as Earth's, being 686.98 Earth solar days. Maybe that was part of the reason why night was falling on the strange red planet, shadows sliding along the great red cliffs.

There were no buildings in Canyon City; just hollowed out cliffs, caves, and mazes – this was where the people of Mars lived. The Martian Citizens barely noticed the curve of the force-dome overhead that made it possible to live on Mars. These days, 'Martian' didn't mean the green-skinned shape-shifting telepaths that inhabited this place 1,000 Earth years ago. Now it meant anyone who lived there.

_"And in our 'Hero Watch' this hour we bring more news – or as much as we possibly can – on our local heroes, the Legion of Superheroes. As usual, our cameras were only able to catch a mere glimpse of Legionnaire Lightning, already receding into the distance after his teamwork with several equally mysterious individuals. The Scavengers have once more been subdued and a great many of them captured – but as they seem to recruit new members every day, their numbers remain irritatingly static," _the news anchor reported.

_"It's a shame we don't get more shots of Lightning – hasn't he been there since the beginning?"_the other news anchor – an alien woman with waving blue tentacles on her head – asked.

_"Indeed he has, but I have no idea how long exactly. The only good shots of him are those taken during the battle against the Fatal Five at the Interplanetary Games in 3009, when he and several Legionnaires mysteriously appeared in the nick of time. He certainly doesn't seem fond of the cameras!"_

"Off."

Mekt Ranzz stood in the back kitchen of a dinky restaurant, up to his elbows in dirty, soapy wash water.

"Lightning, Lightning, Lightning. The great Legionnaire," he muttered. No one in the streets could ever identify him as being related to Lightning – he had short silver hair, black eyebrows, and electric blue eyes – and their facial structures were completely different. The only thing linking them was eye color and powers – and that was barely a hint of any kind. Garth even looked darker-skinned, though not by much.

His life hadn't always been like this, he reflected. This time of year back home he'd be helping to sow the new crops, tramping through slightly muddy fields to seed the neatly plowed earth with orderly rows of grain.

And he wouldn't be doing it alone, either. Garth and Ayla…

He resolutely pushed the thought of his brother and sister out of his mind.

The restaurant's cook grunted as he heaved more dirty dishes up to the counter beside him.

"More for you, Luc."

And he wouldn't have been sowing under a fake name, either. Granted, taking his father's first name wasn't very original, but still...

He looked up as the door to the kitchen banged open and someone swore; a serving trolley stuck in the entrance. Mekt quickly wiped his hands on his pants and went to help wrestle it free. He helped yank the trolley off the side of the door and stepped aside to let it rattle past, then stepped back into the doorway to close it quietly.

It was then that he got a good look at the people in the restaurant.

Mostly it was the usual crop of tourists and off-work locals. But at the table closest to the door was one woman he knew. She had the build of a competitive weight-lifter. Her brownish-red hair was slightly wavy and fell to her shoulders; the bangs swept out of her brown eyes – and she dwarfed the violet-haired woman with her.

Titania of the Assassins. She – maybe _they _– had found him.

The woman looked directly at him and smiled warmly.

Quickly, he closed the door and went back to the dishes, scrubbing furiously, his mind only half-occupied on the task.

He was sure he'd hidden his trail well enough to avoid detection – unlike his brother, who was flaunting his presence across half the galaxy over in New Metropolis. What did he think he was doing, anyway? Surely those Sovereign creeps had found him already. Surely he'd had to fight them off.

And he wasn't even bothering to look for his twin sister – the one he'd said he cared about so much.

Mekt finished the dishes and slipped out the side door, making as if he was headed for the bathroom, then ducking into a storeroom and out the delivery doors.

Maybe there was no point in running from the Assassins, but he'd try anyway.

* * *

Titania smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Ah, I love it when they try to run." She stood. "Monica, I'm going to the ladies' room."

The human woman, Monica Sade, stood as well, flipping ponytail of dark purple locks over her shoulder. "I'll come with you." She tucked her hands into the pockets of the green jacket that had been pulled over a crisp white shirt. A toolbelt was hooked around her waist over her cargo shorts.

The cook was a little bemused when two ladies walked into his kitchen and asked for the bathroom, but he gave them directions anyway.

They found the bathroom in the rear of the establishment; fortunately, the small two-stall bathroom was unoccupied.

"Can you find him from here?"

"He'll probably be sneaking out the back," Sade said, placing her hand on Titania's shoulder. The air rippled and the bathroom vanished around them as walls and streets flickered past. The scenery grew still as they appeared on the end of one of the Ridges, directly in Mekt's path. He stumbled back, lightning playing around his hands.

"What do you want, Titania?"

She clicked her tongue in mock disapproval. "So rude, Mekt, ignoring my friend. Won't you listen, at least?"

_"Listen?"_Mekt said incredulously, backing up slowly towards the nearest wall. "From what I've heard, that's not your style, Titania."

"Oh, what, you're not even going to consider that I've changed?"

"Just tell him," Sade snapped. The repartee was starting to get on her nerves.

"Maybe that's how you Snakes do it, but the Academy has more _class,"_Titania retorted. She pouted at Mekt. "All we want is to offer you a job."

"You people are the ones who stole my brother and sister!" he yelled, lightning glowing stronger. "Why in Nath's name would I take a job from you?"

"Because you'd be grateful."

"I have _nothing_–"

"We know where your sister is."

Mekt stopped short instantly, eyes widening and lightning fading. "What –"

"We know where your sister is," Titania repeated. "And we'll tell you. If you do a job for us."

He scowled. "I knew there was going to be a catch somewhere."

"Are you going to take the job or not?" Sade asked impatiently.

Titania flapped a hand at her. "Oh, please, 'Nica, I haven't even told him what –"

"I'll do it."

Titania looked at Mekt, surprised. "What?"

"I'll do it," he repeated. "If it gets me my sister, I'll do it."

The Assassin smiled widely. "And here I thought I was going to have _persuade_ you."

* * *

_End Episode 1.3_


	4. Episode 2 Part 1: Dream of Regret

**A/N: Thanks to supersoda for the review.**

* * *

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)

_Developed, Produced, and Written by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

** Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 2: Resonating Consequences – Part 1: Dream of Regret

_Song: Athair Ar Neamh – Enya_

* * *

_~The Amarta System; Earth Gregorian Calendar (EGC), October 3001~_

* * *

"I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a great idea."

Eight-year-old Ayla sat in the backseat behind her twin brother, Garth, fiddling with the stuffed monkey she had dragged with her everywhere since the age of two. The warning beeping noise filled the cockpit of the small family cruiser, accompanied by a flashing red light.

Although Ayla was a girl and Garth was a boy, they were identical in every other way; their hair was ginger, their eyes brown, and their skin lightly tanned from helping their parents in the fields. Garth's hair was cut in a style suited to boys – short and flat – while Ayla's shoulder-length hair swept up in thick spikes, unruly and untamed.

"Relax, Ayla." Mekt, at thirteen the oldest of the three and the pilot, smiled with more confidence than he felt and turned back to the computer console. "We'll be fine." He glanced at the screen, which read, in Interlac, _Fuel Cells Low_.

Mekt looked more like their father than their mother, whom the twins took after. His hair was pitch black, his black eyebrows shaped like lightning bolts at the ends – but his eyes were the same brown as the twins.

"Um...shouldn't a joyride be more...uh..."

"Joyful?" Mekt supplied.

"...than scary?" Garth finished.

"I don't feel very joyful!" Ayla protested.

"Don't worry. Big brother's not gonna let anything bad happen," Mekt assured them, accessing some commands on the control panel and bringing up a holographic diagram. "Okay, there's a planetoid called Korbal in range."

"We learned about that in our cosmography lesson," Garth interjected. "There aren't any people on it, Mekt."

"No, but there _are_ lightning beasts. Non-sentient – but they have enough power to refuel the ship's cells! We can recharge the ship and still beat Mom and Dad home."

Garth and Ayla exchanged looks.

"Are you sure?" Ayla asked – and Mekt nodded with more confidence than he really felt.

"I'm positive."

The engines whirred as the fuel cell finally gave out, the energy bars dropping rapidly as the small, Rider-class cruiser drifted towards the gray and greenish-blue orb that was Korbal.

"Slag. We're gonna have to do a drop-landing," Mekt muttered grimly. "Are you two strapped in?"

Ayla and Garth checked their belts and nodded; Ayla hugged her monkey more tightly.

"Then hang on. We're entering the atmosphere. Activating shields."

_Atmospheric Shield: 55% power and falling._

"It's better than nothing," Mekt muttered under his breath.

The pressures of re-entry – the rush and the fire – pressed in on the little cruiser as it plummeted into the atmosphere. Garth scrambled for his twin behind him; she leaned forward and their hands intertwined, squeezing so hard, one would think the circulation would be cut off – but they didn't care.

It felt as if the air was pressing out of their lungs; they gasped for breath. Mekt's eyes scuttled across the panel, still powered by the computer's own cells as the altitude meters ticked down faster than he could read.

_Atmospheric thrusters: Functioning. Activate in...20 seconds._  
_Vocal Commands Disabled_

Mekt placed his fingers over the appropriate switch.

_...16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1._

Mekt activated the thrusters, feeling the ship slow down just slightly.

_Impact in approximately two minutes._ The computer screen read, counting down the ETI – Estimated Time to Impact.

Mekt couldn't decide whether time stood still or if it rushed past – but it felt like his heart nearly ripped right out of his chest when the first shuddering crash rippled through the ship. The ship rattled across the rocky landscape, bumping and jolting like some horrible amusement park ride, evicting uncomfortable gasps of pain from its passengers before the ride mercifully stopped as the cruiser skidded to halt.

The lights all went out. Ayla and Garth yelped in terror.

"Terrific," Mekt muttered. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Korbal looked more unfriendly on the ground than it did from the atmosphere. The skies were dark, the clouds were grayish with sandy-red underbellies, and the orange core of a shattered moon cast eerie light on the landscape, while lone asteroids that had once been part of that moon littered the sky.

Ayla and Garth gasped in the air of Korbal as Mekt slid down the cruiser after checking the ship's fuel cells again, leaving the panel exposed.

"You two okay?" he asked in concern.

"We nearly _died_ – but we're fine," Garth said with mock cheeriness.

Mekt swelled up in rage. "Excuse me?! You're the one who agreed to this in the first place, you –"

"Stop!" Ayla shrieked, whacking Mekt with her monkey. "I just wanna go home!" She turned and pointed the monkey accusingly at Garth. "And stop being mean! He's trying!"

Garth's scowl evaporated. "Sorry."

"Me too," Mekt sighed. "I promise I'll make up for this. We're gonna get home, all of us."

"But..um...don't we need to find those...storm beasts first?" Garth asked. Ayla was tapping him on the shoulder, her eyes fixated on something beyond their spot.

"I think I found one," she whispered, pointing. The boys slowly turned to look.

A massive four-legged beast with a tough hide of either dark brown or pitch black was lumbering across the landscape towards them, not seeming to notice them yet. From its head grew twin horns that curved inward towards the face. From the way it was sniffing the ground, it appeared to be in search of food.

"Hide behind those rocks," Mekt instructed, bringing up an insulated metal rod he had found in the cruiser. The twins obeyed, keeping their eyes on the beasts as they scuttled sideways across the landscape. Garth's foot rolled over a rock, making only the slightest of sounds.

The lightning beast's head jerked up, its tiny eyes widening as its nostrils flared.

"Run!" Mekt's scream was an echo in his own ears as sparks of lightning collected at the tips of the beast's horns before shooting towards the pair.

Ayla and Garth shot out of the way, narrowly avoiding being fried. The resulting explosion made the ground blow up, sending rock and debris flying everywhere. The smoke cleared, revealing a crater that could have been the twins had they been any slower.

They took shelter behind the rocks Mekt had indicated, ringed by a taller cliff. The lightning struck the ship; the energy bars on the outer panel shimmered and one and a half of the three bars filled up.

The lightning beast lumbered in their direction with an annoyed roar; Mekt desperately scooped up a fair-sized rock from the ground and threw, hitting it directly in its eye. It flinched and glared in Mekt's direction.

"Hey, ugly!" Mekt jumped out of the way as another lightning bolt flew at him and created a smoking hole in the ground as he jumped to the side to avoid it. "Oh, so you don't like being called names. Good to know."

Ayla's eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in her monkey. "I just wanna go home."

"Me too." Garth squeezed her hand comfortingly.

He watched Mekt with an intent expression as the beast roared again, sending another jolt of lightning streaming through its horns. Mekt jumped on top of the cruiser to avoid being shot and the lightning struck the cruiser, filling up the remaining one and half bars. Mekt grinned widely.

"Yes! The ship is juiced!"

"Look out!" Ayla called; Mekt hastily swiveled his attention back to the beast as, with a roar, it charged. Mekt leaped, performing a flip that carried him over the animal as it crashed headfirst into the ship, denting and scrunching up the metal.

Mekt landed near the twins, glancing over his shoulder at the angered lightning beast. Now what was he supposed to do? Beyond getting it to recharge the ship's cells, he hadn't thought of _how to get rid of the thing_.

"Don't come over _here_!" Garth hissed. "That monster's gonna fry us! _Do_ something!"

"I'm trying!" Mekt snapped. "Do you think you're gonna save the day by crying in your shirt?!"

"I'm not crying in my shirt!"

"Mekt!" Ayla whined. "Stop it!"

Once again, Mekt felt guilty; Garth was just as scared as he was and this was not the time for fighting.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I promise to get you both home safely; just don't get me in trouble with Mom and Dad."

The cliffs above them crunched and rocks tumbled down as the lightning beast trudged closer. Hesitantly, the Ranzz siblings looked up, eyes widening in horror at the sight of two more lightning beasts, both with electricity already charged and formed into brilliant orbs of lightning at the tips of their tusks.

"_Nath_," Garth hissed, invoking the name of the God of Winath in his horror, his hand squeezing around Ayla's as lightning eclipsed their vision.

The lightning danced over their skin, sinking into their pores like fire and ice, lighting up every pain receptor, stabbing their bones, their eyes – and then racing back out to dance over their skin. The light was so bright, it obscured their vision, their surroundings. It seemed as if it would last forever. But then it broke.

The lightning, the ice, the fire, the pain, the light...it all vanished, leaving smoke traces and a deep crater where there hadn't been one before.

The lightning beasts turned away, their anger quelled at last, paying no mind to the children rising from the crater.

Mekt turned his hands over in wonder, a smile creasing his face. Garth moaned. Ayla slumped on the ground next to him, smelling burnt fabric. Her monkey had been charred, but she – and her brothers – were safe. She let the toy fall.

"We're alive! We're alive!" Mekt paused to glance over at his siblings – both of whom looked exhausted. "Are you all right?"

"I feel fried," Garth muttered, his voice sounding like static. Both twins looked up at him and Mekt sucked in a gasp of shock; the twins stared back. The twins both had eyes of startling electric blue so pure they were almost white – with no black pupils in the centers they almost looked blinded.

"Can you _see_?!" Mekt exclaimed.

"Of course we can," Ayla assured him with a smile. "Can you?"

"Huh?"

"Your eyes look freaky. Like lightning. And your hair's white," Garth informed him, pushing himself to his knees and sitting on the ground.

"Your eyes look the same! Wait – my hair's _white_?!"

"Come on, Mekt. You said you'd get us home," Ayla reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." He looked down at his hands, eyes widening as electricity danced over his skin. "How did we survive?"

"Who cares? Can we go now?" Garth pleaded.

Mekt nodded, helping the twins to their feet and wincing at the sight of Ayla's charred monkey on the ground. "We'll get you a new one," he promised her.

"It's okay," Ayla said as their brother led them towards the cruiser – away from the remains of a burnt monkey, and of a childhood left behind.

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~Apartment A, Star Pavilion; 05:59~_

* * *

Garth Ranzz's eyes snapped open, his eyes and scar filled with a haze of blue light and electricity as he shot up, hands entangled in the sheets – sheets that were beginning to burn.

Garth – better known to the galaxy at large as Legionnaire Lightning – loosened his tight grip on the sheets as the lightning he had grown used to faded from his eyes and drops of tears replaced them.

The dream had been as clear as a memory – a memory just created yesterday. But it had happened years ago.

Garth let his face sink into his hands, the ginger hair he'd been too lazy or too reluctant to cut falling around his shoulders. Why _didn't_ he cut his hair? It was much too long – so he'd been told. He'd _trimmed_ it and it really just gave him an excuse to go to Saturn Girl every morning because Diswi(1) knew _he_ couldn't handle all this hair without getting it tangled or making it stand on end.

But he hadn't had a dream about Ayla and Mekt for years.

After a good five minutes of contemplating his dream and the fact he was undeniably awake at the horrible hour of 0600, Garth stood up and began to get dressed.

* * *

_~Apartment D, Star Pavilion; 6:35~_

* * *

The blue-skinned Talokian Legionnaire known as Umbra had never _lived_ in Apartment D, but she had _visited_ here often enough to know some of the habits of its five residents.

Shrinking Violet always woke up shortly after dawn and then retreated to the lab. Kinetix got up with her for early-morning bonding and breakfast before going back to bed. Dawnstar and XS (the former of whom lived in Umbra's Apartment F along with Princess Projectra) both went to Shuster Park – or, when it was raining, to the Garden Level. Much to her relief, Kono slept in, giving them some peace from the bouncy Sklarian girl.

Thankfully, Sunday was usually a slow day for crime – most criminals seemed to take the traditional 'rest day' to heart – but there were always those inconsiderate ones who took advantage of the Day of Rest.

It wasn't uncommon to find Gaia in the lounge in the early mornings, either – though the first time Umbra had walked in to Gaia with a whole class' worth of animals, she had not reacted well to the invasion. But now, they were used to it.

The Knight-Legionnaire Liaison Gaia was absently twirling a strand of mahogany hair around a finger as she raided the fridge, dressed in day clothes of a long-sleeved green turtleneck and thick brown pants. Her hair was tied in a ponytail as opposed to her usual braid.

Umbra watched the liaison pick through the fridge as she approached the small kitchenette to get breakfast for herself, XS, and Dawnstar. Gaia carefully selected some fruits and pastries from the fridge and shelves, gathering them all into two fruit bowls with croissants on the side.

"Not into meat?" Umbra asked, getting some plates of her own.

"Not in the mornings, no."

Umbra nodded; she liked this new girl. True, she had had her doubts when she and Arctic just vanished in the Legion's time of crisis – but she and the Knights had proven themselves to be worthy and reliable allies.

"That can't all be for you."

"I have a big appetite." Gaia paused, tilting her head. "But then again, some people need it more than I do."

The door opened without a preceding knock as she spoke; she raised an eyebrow at the intruder with a slight frown.

"I heard you coming, but something called _manners_ would be nice for you to remember," she said to a sheepish-looking Lightning.

Umbra raised an eyebrow at the sight of her Commander. "You're up early," she commented.

"Couldn't sleep," was Lightning's monosyllabic answer.

Umbra's eyes darted to the brush hanging from his tangle of hair. His eyes were slightly red, his shirt rumpled as if he had hastily pulled it over his head, and his sweats were just a little too big.

"Bad dreams?" she guessed.

"Not exactly. Just tired. Not enough sleep."

"Come on then, you poor inept farm boy," Gaia sighed, gathering the breakfast dishes and two glasses of milk onto a tray. "Let's get some food in you."

Gaia flew out with the tray in her hands and the door closed behind the pair; Umbra arched an eyebrow. Didn't Lightning usually ask Saturn Girl to help him with his hair? But then again, Saturn Girl liked to rest in her room before actually getting up to greet the day, so maybe Lightning hadn't wanted to disturb her.

Umbra shrugged and returned to fixing her own breakfast.

* * *

"Go to Imra," Gaia said as soon as they were out the door. Lightning opened his mouth in protest but she forestalled anything by holding her hand up. "Seriously. I'm going to clear _my_ head. _You_ take this." She shoved the breakfast tray at him. "Tell me all about it later. But right now, I'm going to be selfish."

"Are you angry or something?" Garth called after her as she walked away.

She cast a glance over her shoulder. "At you? Rarely, and definitely not now. I just...need to contemplate some things. We'll talk later."

* * *

_End Episode 2.1_

(1) Diswi – the Winathian god of storms


	5. Episode 2 Part 2: Nightmares Reflect

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 2:Resonating Consequences – Part 2: Nightmares Reflect

_Song: Enigmatic Soul – Two Steps from Hell_

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~Apartment B, Star Pavilion; 06:25~_

* * *

Sometimes Lightning would be bold enough to sit in the lounge of Saturn Girl's Apartment B in the mornings; other times, for some reason, he was driven to shyness and opted to wait for Saturn Girl in the local lounge – people hardly ever went in there anyway. That lounge was neatly tucked into a 'corner' of the Pavilion (because finding actual corners in the structure of a _round _building was impossible) and was neatly furnished with carpet, lounge chairs, and potted plants.

As soon as she opened her eyes that morning, Saturn Girl knew that Lightning was awake – he was there, and he was confused and troubled.

She asked a silent question of him, shielding everything from him except that one thought – she enjoyed as much privacy as possible, especially in her room – and got a wave of confusion, helplessness, and childlike lost-ness in reply.

Saturn Girl made sure she was decent – black T-shirt, pink sweatpants, and white socks – and padded quietly through the corridors to the lounge, extending a wave of telepathy over the base, running her usual morning check-ups.

Several Legionnaires, including Gaia, XS, and Dawnstar, were out. Karate Kid and Sunflare had just been relieved from the 'graveyard' shift and replaced by Diamond and Dream Girl. Brainy, Lyle, and Shrinking Violet were in the lab with Juliet the cat. Arctic and Nightsun were awake in their apartment suite. Timber Wolf was sitting on a sturdy branch of a tall redwood in the Garden Level with the psychologist Anna Sigmund sitting below him on the park bench, listening to the very few comments he made. Others were still asleep – probably still recovering from Cosmic Wave's and Ultimatum's belated birthday party celebrations and the massive clean-up it had entailed.

Originally they were going to hold the two birthday parties separate, however after an unusually high amount of criminal cases that had emerged forced the Legion to change the schedule to the 23rd of February and hold a large birthday party for both of them..

Incidentally, at the aforementioned party, Phantom Girl had collaborated with Kono and Chameleon Boy to spike the wine, making it even more alcoholic than normal, in order to gain valuable blackmail material to use as revenge for their minor grievances against Cosmic Wave (normally involving double-shifts and not being allowed to drink at the party). Their scheme had succeeded splendidly – a few of the older Legionnaires, like Colossal and Princess Projectra, were still hung over. Gaia and Arctic had stubbornly refused alcohol (Gaia called them 'spirits) and retreated from the party along with several others. Some of the younger ones who were able to hold their liquor had been allowed a _very _limited amount of alcohol. One of the birthday boys, Ultimatum (whose birthday was ten days after Cosmic Wave's), got a little tipsy and snuck a kiss with Phantom Girl as she attempted to get a photo of them together.

Most unfortunately for the other birthday boy, 18 being the legal drinking age (lowered from 21 sometime in the past thousand years), Cosmic Wave had also had one or two glasses himself to celebrate his coming of age – not nearly enough to get drunk under normal circumstances, but thanks to the tricky trio spiking the wine, he had also suffered the negative after-effects. Lightning, far from being disapproving – in fact, he was one of those who had laughed the loudest – had actually congratulated Phantom Girl, Kono, and Chameleon Boy for getting Cos to loosen up. Then, because he was the leader and he had to set an example, he punished them all with triple monitor shifts – though not before requesting a copy of the pictures Phantom Girl had taken of the drunk Legionnaires.

~_Brainy, is Nemesis Kid coming back today?~_Saturn Girl asked.

_~Yes. We're going to the Stardrome later this morning with Mr. Brande and Madame Sigmund to pick him up.~ _Brainy confirmed. ~_We already told Tyroc, and he's cleaning their apartment. Lyle wants to throw _another _party.~ _The oozing disapproval was obvious in his tone – no doubt he was remembering the wine incident. He sounded faintly put out with his more carefree lab partner, which wasn't unusual – Brainy and Lyle were good friends, but their conflicting personalities often led to squabbles.

Saturn Girl chuckled. _~I'll make sure to help him later.~_

_~Not _too _much later.~_Brainy reminded her with a joking tone in his voice, before gently cutting off the contact.

The minds of the sleeping Legionnaires were clear to her thanks to their Legion tattoos – but they were also closed to her, much to her relief. Saturn Girl made sure everyone was accounted for and unscathed before returning her attention to Lightning.

She _never _wanted to wake up again and discover that she _couldn't _find someone – like that day back when they had first started; she'd woken up and Lightning was just _gone_.

Saturn Girl paused, took a breath, and pushed that week out of her mind.

Upon reaching the lounge, she found the lightning-wielding Winathian sitting on a cushion at one of the low tables – away from the plants – with a tray of covered food in front of him, his eyes closed. Sparks and streams of lightning were playing along his skin, and his chest rose and fell as he snatched those streams and drew them back into his body.

Saturn Girl just watched for a movement as the glowing electricity and an aura of faint neon surrounded him. Some of his hair was beginning to stand up, but she wasn't paying attention to that bit; somehow, today, she was noticing something else: that Lightning's power – power that could be so explosive, power meant to destroy, to paralyze – it could be so..._beautiful._

_And so dangerous_, her inner voice whispered.

_**Rokk jabbed Garth in the ribs again. **_

_**"Would you **_**stop** _**that?" Garth snapped as Rokk jumped back fast enough to avoid the swirling spark cloud enshrouding the angered Winathian.**_

She had to contain the laughter that memory evoked before letting a smile steal across her face.

"It's rare for you to be up this early," she noted, walking towards him.

"Bad dreams," he whispered as she took the comb and brush off the table, raking her fingers through his tangle of ginger hair.

And for a second, images that weren't hers flashed in her mind.

_A hand tightened around hers/Garth's as the lightning beasts bore down on them._

_Two ginger-haired twins _– _one boy, one girl _–_chased their older, dark-haired brother around the house, armed with water guns and laughing._

_Garth's eyes widened as a boy with amber lightning around his hand descended on him like a wild animal. Young Garth thrust his legs up and sent a jolt of electricity through his feet, shocking his attacker and sending him flying over his head. Garth flipped to his feet and whirled to face his attacker. "You'll have to do better, Anbar."_

_Slowly, one hand after another laid out on the air. "Obsidian." Golden Eyes. "Tsunami." Blue skin, eyes like ice. "Voltage." Eyes exactly like Garth's. "Gaia." Gaia's green eagle-like eyes were dark with anger and pain. "Lightning." Electricity sparkled._

"Imra?" Lightning was asking.

Saturn Girl shook her head out of Lightning's memories and put up mental blocks as she carefully raked the comb through his hair – he had proven in the past that he had no tolerance for ripping out knots.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

Lightning nodded, unusually quiet. But then again, it _was_ earlier than he usually got up, so maybe it was to be expected. Resolving to enjoy this rare moment of peace, Saturn Girl shoved all thoughts out of her mind.

* * *

_~Apartment I, Star Pavilion; 07:05~_

* * *

Nightsun liked the company of his roommates, but Arctic _still _seemed to view him with suspicion, as if he would turn around and betray them at any moment. Nightsun attempted to convince himself that this was paranoia (he wasn't sure on whose part), but made a mental note to ask Gaia about it.

Cham was nice enough – a bit like his younger cousins – but he found his constant stream of questions exhausting. Nightsun often encouraged the younger Legionnaire to hang out with Kono so they wouldn't keep following him and Gaia around when she was playing tour guide – but it didn't seem to help their gossip. Arctic often threatened Cham and Kono with frostbite, but never carried out the threat – perhaps because Gaia had discouraged freezing one's teammates into blocks of ice.

Backlash was a little _too _enthusiastic in his attempts to introduce them to food that was native to his Terran country; and Chemical King was skittish around everyone – though, strangely, he got along well enough with Arctic.

Nightsun had since learned that trying to sneak out was futile, as nearly every morning he would find Arctic lurking in the lounge before he disappeared someplace.

He tried anyway – and had failed every morning thus far. Arctic was a Knight; what else could he expect?

"Morning."

Nightsun managed to hide his shock, just noticing the Glacheren sitting on the couch in the center of the lounge. The Knight lifted his head, staring at Nightsun with ice-blue eyes that matched his pale face and platinum-blond hair perfectly; it gave him a wintry look. Appropriate, considering the planet he came from.

"Morning," Nightsun greeted, heading for the door.

"Going out?"

"Just for a quick morning flight."

"In the cold?" Arctic looked and sounded as though he were running an interrogation.

"I do not mind it," Nightsun said. "I would just like to get some air...good day." He made it to the door and escaped into the corridor, looking for one of those pipes that led to the outside.

"_An exit pipe is fifteen meters south of your current location," _COMPUTO said helpfully from his flight ring. Nightsun jumped; he was still getting used to that.

"Uh...thanks." Following the light path COMPUTO set, Nightsun found an exit pipe and flew inside. The pipe lights lit up as he soared – clear windows of the Pavilion rushing past – until he erupted into the cool crisp air of winter's daytime.

A thin layer of snow spread out on the ground, covering most of the brown grass of the Pavilion ground and obscuring the walkways that twisted around the pockets of trees and some of the smaller buildings. He could see Dawnstar circling overhead, and beyond the Pavilion grounds he could perceive a distant speck slowly drifting through the air. With a suspicion of who it was, he headed towards it while cautiously tapping the telepathic link – he still hadn't gotten the hang of it; once he had been yelled at by Lightning for broadcasting a private conversation to everyone.

_~Gaia?_~ he called cautiously, waiting for someone to yell at him.

~_Morning_.~ was the only response. She carefully checked to make sure they were on a private channel, shutting off some pathways with the ease of practice. _~It'll get easier.~ _she assured him.

Gaia was waiting for him on the roof of a local business near the Tealboro Market Plaza that was covered by a force-rectangle in the winter months.

"Up early?" the Ceran asked.

"I'm still figuring out how many sunshards is too much," Nightsun confessed. "I've never really needed them before." He stared up into the clouds, trying to spot the _faintest _glimmer of sun.

Gaia, noticing his gaze, offered, "I never knew a winter could exist until I came to Earth. And visiting Glacheroma after I came here was just a _huge _shock."

"Why?"

"Eternal winter. Arctic laughed at me when I asked 'when is spring?' I thought it was a perfectly logical question."

Nightsun chuckled.

"Wait." She held up a hand, eyes sweeping the deserted stillness of a winter morning. ~_Do you hear that?~_

_~No.~_

Gaia sharpened her sight by tapping into a bit of eagle DNA, and then incorporated some barn owl DNA to enhance her hearing. She swiveled and dipped her head to catch the sounds.

Nightsun remained quiet throughout, testing the strength of his starbolts.

* * *

_~Tealboro Market Plaza, West Tealboro, New Metropolis; 07:37~_

* * *

Anbar watched his former comrade and her companion from the shadows of a ground-level building. His glowing neon eyes were slitted, and a predatory grin shaped his lips. He had one _crystelitum(1) tonfa sword(2)_in his hand. The other hand absent-mindedly stroked the crystal sword, sending streams of amber-colored lightning down its blade.

"Come out of hiding, have you, mountain bird?" His golden-bronze skin was laced with healed scars and burns, all several shades darker than his undamaged skin – and his jet-black hair stuck up all over the place, shooting out from his scalp as if he had been electrocuted. His eyes flashed amber as lightning passed through them and he had jammed on an amber shirt with cut-off sleeves to wear with his brown pants and black boots.

"You realize that attacking now is a stupid idea," Monica Sade hissed at him. Queen Kobra and Eve Aries had actually agreed that it was best if Sade, with her teleporting abilities, kept an eye on Anbar; both rulers knew he was a dangerous, unpredictable loose cannon.

Anbar ground his teeth in annoyance. "I could slit her throat before –"

Sade snorted. "If I'm not mistaken, she already knows we're here. And I don't want to tangle with a Tamaranean. _Especially _not one with natural stellarkinesis."

Anbar ignored her and began to creep forward. On the rooftop, Gaia swerved and stared dead at him, eyes narrowed into vicious slits of hatred and fear.

A slow grin stole across his face, revealing a mouth of a unnaturally sharp, yellowed teeth. "Hey, little mountain bird. Miss me?"

For a fraction of a second, a look of horror flashed across her face before her calm mask of hatred was back in place – but Anbar was always looking for the briefest flashes of terror on the faces of his opponents.

* * *

Gaia found who she was looking for and sucked in a breath at the sight of terrifyingly familiar amber eyes. _Anbar_. No. _Not here._

_~What is it?~ _Nightsun asked, picking up her wave of distress.

But his voice – and his nickname for her – were unmistakable. "Hey, pretty little mountain bird. Miss me?"

~_It's nothing_.~ she decided after a moment, both to herself and Nightsun. "I'm going back to the Pavilion," she called, shooting off into the sky so fast Nightsun had to work to keep up.

* * *

"Oooh...she really _did _learn how to fly," Anbar noted with interest.

"Let's get going," Sade insisted. "Act too soon and you'll ruin the whole plan."

Anbar frowned. "Next time, then."

He backed up slowly, allowing his amber lightning to be swallowed by the shadows of a dawning winter day.

* * *

_~Apartment B, Star Pavilion; 07:42~_

* * *

_~Garth, come here now.~_Gaia commanded, rudely shoving her telepathic call past his barrier of calm.

_~What gives?! You tell me to go away and –~_

_~NOW!~ _Gaia thundered, making his head ring. ~_It's important.~_

Lightning sighed outwardly, attracting Saturn Girl's attention.

"What is it?" she inquired.

"I should probably go do leader stuff."

"You haven't touched the food," she pointed out.

"I'm not hungry. See you later, Imra."

She stared after him as he left without a backward glance – since when was Lightning not hungry?

* * *

_End of Episode 2.2_

(1) Crysteltium – a polymorphic crystalline matrix triggered by lasers, allowing it to form different shapes. Can be charged with lasers or other forms of energy. Usually used in the making of eltium weapons – hilts that charge the crystal inside into certain shapes. Each hilt usually makes one type of weapon, though they can make various forms of a certain weapons (such as swords).

(2) Tonfa Sword– Basically, a tonfa with blades projecting from the end. Known as a guard shoto in the Star Wars Franchise.


	6. Episode 2 Part 3: Stolen From One's Path

**A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage  
Edited by Peonywinx**

ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 2: Resonating Consequences – Part 3: Stolen From One's Path

_Song: Forgotten World – Brand X Music_

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~Martha's Cafe, 3rd Level, Star Pavilion; 07:53~_

* * *

Gaia, armed with a mug of cocoa, was taking shelter in one of the small cafes the Pavilion maintained on the 3rd Level when Lightning arrived through the sliding doors and zapped them shut.

_~We have a problem.~_ Gaia said as soon as she saw him walk through the doors.

_~I do not like the sound of that...~_ he thought back as the waiter drone came over with a holopanel menu. He picked a muffin and cocoa – he really didn't feel hungry – and joined her at the table while the drone zoomed off to get his order.

_~I know you don't. And you'll like this even less.~_ She paused, scrutinizing her cocoa.

_~Are you gonna keep –~_

_~Anbar is here.~_

Lightning's eyes widened; then a glimmer of neon blue light traced over the lightning bolt scar slashing through his right eye as his white-blue irises narrowed to slits. The briefest of memories flashed in his mind.

**_"Found you, Garth."_**

**_Garth Ranzz with short hair and in civilian clothes looked up at the other boy standing across the street from the cafe he had taken shelter at._**

**_"Just because you found me doesn't mean you can catch me."_**

_~And we already know Sovereign is here as well.~ _Gaia said, interrupting his memory.

Lightning nodded numbly. "And...we have_ another_ crisis..."

"It doesn't have to be a crisis."

Lightning raised an eyebrow at her. "We already told them about our hunch on Sovereign during the Summit – and Black and Void have been working on it with their Dhavmere kin, taking back the children. But even mystical, other-dimensional beings can't stop it all." He sighed. "We can't tell them. Not yet."

Gaia's eyes flashed and her chin came up. "Why not?" she challenged. "Anbar is here – and you and I both know how dangerous he is. He's out to kill you – maybe me, too – and everyone else we love. We have to tell them."

"Says the girl who's lied for five years."

Gaia's expression turned poisonous. "My family are farmers, craftspeople. They haven't raised a hand in anger against anyone, including each other. They can't fight. Ceraia has no crime! You didn't tell your parents, either."

"You didn't tell the Knights," he countered.

"They weren't ready to know. Not knowing made them safer – but now their ignorance will put them and the entire city – possibly the entire system and God knows what else – on the line."

"You're overreacting; we can't go up in arms just because you saw Anbar. There could be a million other things –"

"No, there are not a 'million other things' he's after," Gaia bit out, leaning over the table and fixating with a firm stare. "If there's one thing I admire about that psychopath, it's his focus on the ultimate goal. And, in case you've forgotten, that goal is to kill you. Not defeat; not maim – _kill_."

Lightning flinched at 'not maim – kill' – and his hand went to his arm, tracing non-existent scars. Gaia did not miss his movement.

"Bioskin(1)?" she guessed. Her eyes flickered over the skin of her old friend, assessing. "Two layers. I never noticed before."

"Yeah," Lightning admitted.

"To cover the scars from Sovereign. But why two layers?"

"How can you even tell?"

"Because I can. Why do you have two layers of bioskin?"

"Obviously, I had bad scarring."

"If it was just that you wouldn't be avoiding the question," Gaia snapped, keeping her voice low. She could smell the anger and fear coming from him, as well as feel the vibrations coming from his body as his muscles tensed. "It was Anbar. Wasn't it?"

The silence answered the question perfectly.

"When?" she demanded.

"A long time ago."

"Define 'a long time ago'."

"Look –"

"Stop being an idiot about this and tell me," Gaia commanded.

"The first few months in the Legion! 3007, okay?!" Lightning snapped out; sparks of lightning erupted from his hands. "Anbar found me, I ran, we fought, it was a tie, and I got back in one piece."

"Does it count when that one piece is _sliced up_?!" Gaia stood. "We are telling the Legion about this. _Now_."

"No!" Lightning shot out of his seat to block her path. Gaia started at his violent movement.

"Slag, what are you thinking?!" she demanded.

"I need time to sort it out! I never told them anything!"

"I know you didn't, but now you have to!"

"I need time!"

"You've had plenty."

"I'm not you," Lightning snapped. "Don't expect me to do what you do."

"Do you want this team to _die_?" she hissed. "This galaxy?!"

Lightning flinched back as if struck. "Never," he said feelingly.

Gaia's eyes narrowed into slits as she stared hard at him without blinking. Lightning found it difficult to meet her 'Bat Glare' and averted his eyes.

"I'll tell them soon. I promise."

Gaia huffed. "I'm telling the Knights right now."

"It's eight in the morning!" Lightning protested.

"Irrelevant," she said, shoving him aside and making a beeline for the door. She paused and turned back to him, her expression softening. "You're Legion Commander now, Lightning. That makes it your job to ensure they get out of this alive."

She paused in the doorway. "One more thing...remember what I told you when we were celebrating Cosmic Wave's acquittal?"

* * *

Flashback

~February 10th, 3011~

* * *

"Hey, you." Gaia popped up as soon as Lightning and Saturn Girl took a break from the dance floor. "Can I abduct him for a second?" she asked Saturn Girl, who smiled.

"Sure."

"I thought you didn't dance," Lightning teased.

"I'm not asking for a dance, you loon," she scoffed, dragging him out of his seat. Leading him out of the part, she took him to the outside observation deck overlooking the city.

Lightning crossed his arms. "Adi, is something wrong?"

Gaia briefly looked over the city with its pink skies and turned back to Lightning. "We never did catch up properly when I came back," she told him.

"Yes, we did."

She shook her head. "I figured since the crisis is over this would be a good time to tell you something you've been wanting to know for years."

"What?" Lightning stared at her. "Spit it out!"

"Ayla's alive."

Lightning's eyes widened and his arms dropped to his sides. "How do you –?"

"The day we escaped, she realized that the Outriders would need a leader once the rebellion was stirred. She stayed behind."

"Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"Well..."she seemed sheepish. "To be honest I kinda forgot at first, and then when I remembered we were still fighting Neo Kobra and worrying about Sovereign Syndicate sneaking around under our noses. I figured...it would distract you."

"You should have told me as soon as you remembered!"

"And what good would it have done?" she demanded. "Come on, Sparx. You know I always do things with a reason. You were worried enough about Quain and Sovereign lurking around."

Lightning stared at her a long moment, then relaxed slowly, letting a low chuckle escape. "True. That's why you're a Caligine Knight."

Gaia smiled and saluted him, Legion style – her right arm up with her fist toward him where a ring would be. "And your oath-sister. Always."

* * *

Present Day

* * *

Lightning exhaled. "I do remember."

"Then let it motivate you."

The door slid closed behind her. After a few minutes of pacing and arranging his thoughts, the Legion Commander leapt to his feet and just took off through the door. Lightning couldn't remember going faster in his life – his feet barely touched the floor, the lightning crackled through his bones, the corridors were metallic blurs as he dropped into the sky pipes and flew with the storm that chased him with electricity and winds and rain...

Suddenly, he heard a door slam and he jumped, glancing around wildly at the strange room. His hair was lifting out of its ties with a cloud of sparks swirling around his body and limbs.

Gradually, the lights came on, revealing several glass tables – all with electrical conduits in them – couches, and chairs. The magical window Diamond had installed when she'd first arrived changed from a blank scene of stars to a view of Winath from the mountains, bringing a sweet breeze with it.

Slowly, Lightning took a breath, and then another, pulling at the strands of lightning that leapt free of his control and drawing them back into his skin. Once his lightning was under control again, he collapsed into a nearby lounge chair and stared at the ceiling, which was depicting a Winathian sunrise.

Sometimes it helped; other times he wished he was actually home on Winath. He didn't even care if he had to live underground part of the time, or bunk out in force-domes to avoid the storms, or farm, or be covered in dirt. If he were home, he'd have his sister, his brother, all of his aunts and uncles and cousins and no worries about the next psycho trying to take over the galaxy or something.

_But then you wouldn't know Imra_, a small voice whispered in his head. _Or Adi. Or Rokk, or anyone else here._

Brainiac 5 had constructed the room to react to Lightning's powers, giving everything a bioelectric trigger pad. Now Lightning lazily flicked a spark of lightning at a wall panel, pulling a box from behind it. The box floated over and Lightning sat up to remove the lid, carefully taking out the marble tiger from its case.

It looked the same as it always did – a prowling tiger carved out of white marble, claws extended, tail held high, eyes set into a glower, fangs exposed in a wicked grin of anticipation. It retained the small gashes, bumps, and scrapes it had gained since Adeola had first shoved it (wrapped in a box) into his hands and mumbled, "Happy Celebration Day" – because they had no proper holidays in Sovereign.

_"Do you want this team to die?"_ Her words echoed in his head.

How could she even ask that? He would never want anyone to die – that's why he hadn't told them in the first place. That and because he just...wanted to forget. But that was a feat that was next to impossible.

His breath hitched in his throat as water began to sting his eyes.

_"Letting fear and anger overwhelm you will blind you to your path, covering it in red fog. Do not let it rule you."_

_Cagn._ Lightning stopped, shoving the pain and anger at Adeola away.

_"Ayla's alive."_

He jumped up, crossing the room in a few strides, and set the tiger on the desk so he could rummage in the drawers and the compartments for that disk. It was in the top-drawer of his desk in a small box. He took it out, tracing his thumb over the three-layered, white-and-red hexagon star.

If Anbar was here, that meant Sovereign wasn't too far behind. After Anbar had found him the first time – nearly four years ago now – he'd had quite a nightmarish week fleeing to other planets in an effort to shake them off his trail. If Cagn hadn't come to help him, to keep an eye on him...

_Maybe that's why I haven't said anything. I thought Cagn could hold them off forever. But I can't wait – I have to make my own plans._

Lightning sighed as a memory rose to the surface.

_**Ayla launching off the balcony of Sovereign's tower, flying effortlessly above the ground with lightning crackling around her body and a rare whoop of joy echoing in the dawn skies.**_

_I want Ayla back, and Mekt does too._

With that thought in mind, he latched onto it and rummaged for a fresh datapad.

* * *

~New Metropolis Stardrome, Tealboro; 09:15~

* * *

Nemesis Kid – born as Hart Druiter on the other-dimensional alchemist planet of Myar – looked like a regular blond, teenaged male with green eyes. Wrapped in a long coat for the winter weather, with a duffle or two in his hands, he glanced around for anyone he might know as he stepped out of the gate that permitted the release of the passengers from the star cruiser.

A piercing whistle rang out above the clamor of noise, causing shouts of anger and pain in several different languages – but it drew Nemesis Kid's attention immediately as he glanced around.

A girl with chalk-white skin and long black hair with a single streak of violet on the right side was standing on the shoulders of a cyan-skinned, blond-haired teenage boy in a magenta coat. The girl was waving furiously with both arms despite her thick brown coat. The brown-haired boy with them was holding a cat and trying to stop it from escaping as it squirmed.

Nemesis Kid felt a smile stretch across his face; he hadn't known these people for long before he had left on his mission – but it was relief to see that someone remembered him. No more stomping through sewers or wheedling information out of bar drunks, street thugs, or the most dangerous bounty hunters; no more getting sneered at by the more unpleasant and corrupt Science Police, or traversing across various dirty moons or planets.

A portly man with brown hair and a woman who was nearly invisible under her layers of clothing were just arriving, joining the odd group as they waved at him.

_~Welcome home, Hart.~_ Brainiac 5 said as the long-absent Legionnaire pushed through the crowd.

"Welcome!" R. J. Brande boomed. "My boy, you were barely here and then you were gone!" He clasped Nemesis Kid's hand firmly and shook his arm nearly clean out of its socket.

"You're a little too enthusiastic, Mr. Brande," Anna Sigmund said from under her coat. "Hello, Hart. It's a pleasure to see you back safe and sound."

"Good to be back," Nemesis Kid said as he reclaimed his hand.

Shrinking Violet hopped off Brainy's shoulders and grabbed Nemesis Kid in a hug; he patted her back awkwardly. "We missed you in the lab," she informed him.

"I was only here a few months," Nemesis Kid said, puzzled.

"Long enough to become useful," Lyle quipped. "Brainy kept complaining, 'Why couldn't Lyle be sent away?'"

"Oh, quiet," the Coluan grumbled.

Everyone chuckled; the bluish-gray tabby cat meowed, demanding to be paid attention to.

"Oh, this is Juliet," Shrinking Violet introduced, untangling Juliet from Lyle's coat and cuddling her in her arms. "She's our new lab cat."

Juliet struggled towards the newcomer and demanded to be petted with a loud mew. Nemesis Kid obeyed, grinning.

"Excuse me?" Brainy huffed. "We do not use her for experiments – and she's my cat."

"Of course we don't!" Violet agreed. "Besides, that is animal cruelty."

"I don't think it counts as animal cruelty when it's a lab," Nemesis Kid pointed out. "But I never thought you'd be a cat person, B5."

Brainy scooped Juliet from Violet's arms – despite the cat's protests – and glared at Nemesis Kid, who held up a hand of peace.

"I'm not going to experiment on your cat," the Myarean assured him.

Juliet complained again with a low hiss. Brainy loosened his grip and Juliet settled for draping herself across his shoulders.

Brande and Anna chuckled to themselves as the Legionnaires exchanged banter.

"Hart seems well enough," Anna noted. "Though I would like to have an appointment with him, in case he needs to get anything off his chest; he wasn't well adjusted to this dimension last time he was here, was he?"

"No – but he looks better, though tired," Brande observed. "Speaking of which, how is Brin? You were late getting here."

"He's a stubborn young man," Anna admitted. "He doesn't like talking – but he's starting to, so I'll count that as some good progress. We've agreed to meet every two weeks for an hourly chat, but I'm not going to push him into revealing anything he doesn't want me to know yet. He'll only tell when he's ready and not before."

Brande nodded sagely at her; he looked somewhat relieved, and was satisfied that his newest son was starting to open up to people, even though he knew the lad had a long road ahead of him.

"I don't see Brainy's name shaved in her fur," Shrinking Violet was saying. "Come on, Hart – a lot's happened since you've been away."

"So I've heard." He sighed. "I missed all the exciting stuff, didn't I?"

"Don't worry," Lyle said cheerfully. "I'm sure there will be plenty of other bad guys to put down."

"Quiet – that sounds too much like an ill-wish," Brainy replied.

* * *

End Episode 2.3

(1) Bioskin – artificially created, yet organic, skin used to heal scars. It's permanent and merges harmlessly with the skin of the wearer.

(2) Plastiskin – although not mentioned, Plastiskin is removable bioskin that heals scars. It is the superior bandage.


	7. Episode 2 Interlude: Self-Inflicted Pain

**A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Philosophizes, with assistance from Dranzer's Inferno  
Edited by Peonywinx**

ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 2 Interlude: Self-Inflicted Pain

Song: Déjà Vu – Brand X Music

* * *

February 24th, 3011

~Star Pavilion, Arborium, Level 4; 19:00~

* * *

Timber Wolf appreciated the Arborium – despite being inside a building and relatively tamed, it was better than having to endure the smooth white and blue metal of the Pavilion all day long.

The Arborium was full of small ponds, thick grasses, and dense pockets of trees that scraped the ceiling in some places – but while most of these features were real, some of them could be deceiving. Timber Wolf had sniffed around for odd smells during his first day here and had ended up sneezing upon discovering that magic was at work at here, warping reality in this secluded space.

When Anna took her leave, needing to check on a returning Legionnaire, Timber Wolf had been dragged out of the Arborium by Dawnstar – far too enthusiastic for her own good – and been directed to 'be helpful.' After a training session with the other new recruits and enduring Kono's and Cham's pranks (though he couldn't help but chuckle when a blast of pink paint from one of the terror twins' nefarious schemes drenched a royally pissed-off Princess Projectra), Timber Wolf had stomped off back to the Arborium and found a hidden place where he had dug out a 'den' at the roots of a tree. He had tried to ask Brainy how it worked once, but the explanation had gone over his head too quickly.

It was hard, sleeping in the day – but he didn't feel like talking to anyone. The nightmares were getting better with Saturn Girl's help, but not by much; he still woke up in a cold sweat on some nights, too terrified to go back to sleep. He didn't want to depend on her all the time, especially with her concerns about Lightning. He wasn't the type to pry into personal relationships – but sometimes during the psychic link connection, he couldn't help but sense her fear and worry about the lightning-wielder. So he had found an alternative solution.

After looking around to make sure nobody was watching, and satisfied that they were all going about their own business, Timber Wolf started digging out the bottle of sleeping pills from his den. He poured the remaining half of the bottle directly into his mouth, making a face at the chalky and bitter taste. He swallowed the oval-shaped pills slowly and curled up, waiting for the drugs to take effect.

* * *

Shrinking Violet took the liberty of dragging Nemesis Kid around all day, (re)introducing him to his teammates, and duties. Lyle soon joined them, proudly showing off the cleaned apartment he had been sharing with Tyroc and the efforts they took to make sure it was clean when Nemesis Kid returned – and Anna trailed after them, occasionally striking up conversation with the returned Legionnaire.

Brainiac 5 chose to engage himself in the lab, making sure that their individual workstations were well-defined and sealed off so experiments wouldn't mix. Diamond was working in the back of the lab where the Magic Workshop was. Brainy knocked on the door; she looked up through the clear glass and nodded for him to come in, charms hovering in the air. He stood in the doorway, Juliet at his heels.

"Diamond, could you help Nemesis Kid with his workstation?" he asked. "To ensure the alchemy doesn't affect the other experiments."

"Of course," Diamond agreed at once. "He's back?"

"Yes, but right now Lyle and Vi are reintroducing him to the Pavilion."

Diamond smiled and waved her hands, activating the charms on the dolls that began tidying up her space. "I think I will join them. I suppose you'll stay here?"

The Coluan nodded. "I have to work to do."

The witch laughed lightly as she levitated out of the room; Juliet bumped against her legs, purring, and Brainy stepped back to allow the door to close as the glass went opaque.

"You always have work, Brainy", Diamond pointed out. "At least take a snack break."

Brainy's lips quirked. "I think I will."

Juliet meowed at him and then commanded that Diamond pick her up. The witch obeyed. "You mind if I take her for a bit?"

"Not at all. She's getting bored in here."

The cat meowed in agreement as Diamond bade Brainy goodbye, flying out of the room.

Now that both his cat and his lab partners were gone, Brainy had time to ponder over one question.

"Now, where is Timber Wolf?"

* * *

"He isn't here, sir," the undercook said, turning over slices of ham in the pan.

When the Legion had first started, Lightning had had a fit over drones cooking anything – on Winath, they believed in limited technological dependence in the home and home-cooked meals (by people) were a big deal. He and Cos had gotten into a ridiculous fight over it, resulting in the premature death of several drones. So, they had compromised on the matter – and Brainy had to admit, it was nice seeing life in the kitchens instead of just drones.

Brainy frowned. "He hasn't been here this morning?"

The cook shrugged. "Well, I was looking in the fridge around dawn and we're missing three steaks." Brainy raised a questioning eyebrow, so she elaborated, "The Head Cook banned him from bringing back uncleaned dead animals, so I think he's stealing from the fridge."

"I see..."

"They kept tracking blood on the floor," she explained.

"That explains it. Well, thank you. Have a good day." Brainy bowed slightly and swept out.

"You too, sir!" the undercook called after him.

"The ham," her drone reminded her, directing her attention back to the now-smoking pieces of ham in her pan. The cook yelped and hastened to take them out before they could be burnt to crisps.

"I did warn you," the drone said, just a touch smugly.

"Oh, be quiet!"

* * *

Saturn Girl could track Legionnaires through their Psionic Legion Tattoos when they were asleep, but Brainy couldn't. He couldn't find Timber Wolf and the lycan wasn't responding, so Brainy assumed he was asleep. He sighed, lost in his thoughts as the service personnel passed by.

Brainy turned a corner and jumped violently when a current of electricity raced up his arm, making it tremble as the nanites protested.

"Garth!" he said sharply, clapping his organic hand over his now-malfunctioning cybernetic eye (the left) as the Legion Commander looked up guiltily from his datapad. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"No," said the Winathian, sounding more apologetic than usual. "I wasn't paying attention."

Brainy raised an eyebrow at Lightning's meek tone. "Is something troubling you?"

"No. Just reading," said Lightning dismissively. "You okay?"

The nanites were beginning to settle down again, so Brainy nodded. "I am fine. But be careful."

"That's what the insulated suits are for," Lightning replied, sounding snippy again. "You're the cyborg." Lightning disregarded Brainy's glare and dodged around him, absorbed in his datapad again.

"Have you seen Timber Wolf?" Brainy called.

"No." Lightning disappeared around the corner; still distracted. Brainy crept after him. Why was he so absorbed in the datapad? His curiosity getting the better of him, he mentally reached out for the datapad's hard drive and several nanites sent out a wireless signal.

A jolt of electricity scrambled the nanites into a panic and forced them to retreat; their host jumped. Brainy reprimanded himself silently and turned his nanites to more productive things – such as using the computers and cameras to locate his wayward foster–brother.

* * *

It didn't take the nanites long to complete their work – barely three minutes later, when he had stopped in an electronic 'pantry' Brainy had found Timber Wolf on the wireless camera in the Arborium, deep in sleep.

The Coluan drummed his fingers lightly on his arm, watching his teammate for a few moments through the camera-tap feature in his cybernetic eye. Judging by Timber Wolf's normal habits and sleeping patterns, he should have been well into the REM sleep stage.

And he was, or so Brainy would have said – if he'd been moving properly. That is to say, he wasn't moving at all – except for slight twisting and thrashing movements.

Frowning, Brainy checked the bio-monitors built into the Legion equipment the other boy had fallen asleep wearing. Perhaps he was wrong, and Timber Wolf was in stage three or four.

The monitors said different. Timber Wolf's vital signs were all at normal waking levels, something that only happened during REM sleep...wait, no...the readouts showed a sudden sharp dip in activity – only for a few seconds, but it was alarming all the same.

Brainy pushed himself up, grabbed a small device, and hurried out of the room. Something was seriously wrong.

* * *

Timber Wolf jerked awake instantly and clamped his hands around his ears, to no avail. The horrible wailing continued.

He forced his watering eyes open and glared at the boy standing next to him. There was a small oval device in his hand – the source of the noise.

Brainiac 5 flicked the ultrasonic generator off when he had decided that his teammate was awake enough to not fall right back asleep.

"What did you want?" Timber Wolf rasped, extremely annoyed.

The other boy stuck the device in his coat pocket and crossed his arms.

"I wanted you to wake up."

"You could have just shaken me or something!" Timber Wolf snapped.

"I did. Repeatedly. You showed no response – and that, coupled with the extremely troubling data coming off your bio-monitors, convinced me that more drastic measures were needed. Have you contracted some sort of disease you haven't told anyone ab–" He stopped abruptly and his mouth narrowed to a thin line.

_What?_ Timber Wolf thought, turning his head to look at where his teammate was glaring at the floor. _Why did he just stop and –_

There was an empty pill bottle near his feet.

_Oh. Sprock._

Querl leaned over and scooped up the bottle, quickly reading the label. Then he glared at his teammate.

"Timber Wolf," he said, too calmly. "Just _how_ many sleeping pills did you _take?"_

Timber Wolf bit his lip and muttered something.

_"What_ was that?"

"I don't know," Timber Wolf said louder, setting his jaw and staring off at the wall behind his foster–brother.

"You don't know?" Querl demanded. "Did you just not bother to count, or were you too dazed to notice, or were you drunk –"

"I wasn't going to waste my time counting half a bottle of pills!"

The Arborium was deathly silent for a long moment.

"Half a bottle."

"Yeah."

"You took _half a bottle_ of sleeping pills. Timber Wolf, _don't you know what these things do to your body?"_

"Yeah, I know!" Timber Wolf snapped.

_"Then why did you overdose so heavily?"_

"What else would I take _sleeping_ pills for!? I can't sleep!" Timber Wolf replied heatedly. _Those damn nightmares won't leave me alone..._

Querl huffed angrily.

"That is absolutely no reason to take that many pills! You may have a truly astounding healing factor, Timber Wolf, but that does not render you immune to having your body functions suppressed – which is exactly what these do! The chemicals slow down your metabolism and your brain activity – you're lucky that I could even wake you up! You could have _died_, Brin! And if you've done this before – which I hope you have not, but it is depressingly likely due to the situation – I'm amazed that you didn't fall into a coma before this!"

Timber Wolf was starting to feel the drugs' effects being nullified by his enhanced immune system, and realized that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. He growled and stood up, intending to push his way past his teammate and head to his room – but Querl grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"You are not leaving, Timber Wolf! Not until – until..."

"Until what?" Timber Wolf demanded, knowing that the younger Legionnaire had likely been on the verge of saying something like 'until we talk about this!' or 'until I drag you to the medical bay!' – and then stopped when he realized how useless either of those would be. Neither of them was the sort to sit down and start talking about their feelings, and it was hard enough getting Timber Wolf into the medical bay for a mandatory check–up at the best of times.

He watched Querl's expression twist from frustration into something resembling triumph; though Timber Wolf would never admit it, the new look did unnerve him slightly.

"Not until I call Dr. Sigmund and schedule you for a psychiatric appointment about all of this!"

Timber Wolf tore his arm out of his teammate's hold and glared furiously at him with his mouth open – the other Legionnaires had come to recognize this as the Zuunian's look of absolute outrage.

"Is this some kinda sick joke!?" he exclaimed. "No! I am not gonna go see that shrink about this!"

"You need help for this, Timber Wolf!"

"Not from her and not from you! I'm dealing with it!"

"Overdosing is not 'dealing'!"

Timber Wolf tried to think straight; he was not going have a meeting with Anna – at least not one that hadn't been scheduled for once a fortnight like they agreed to. He was not going to talk to her about this.

"Fine!" Querl said exasperatedly. "If you won't go to Dr. Sigmund, I'll have to have Saturn Girl talk to you!"

"She's already got enough on her plate with Lightning!" Timber Wolf retorted.

"This is a serious issue, too!"

"Oh yeah?" Timber Wolf challenged. "Then how come you haven't called the doctor already?"

Suddenly, Querl's analytical side caught up to his worried mind.

'She's already got enough on her plate with Lightning!'? 'Doctor', with no name?

He sighed and let go of Timber Wolf's arm.

_Fine, if you don't want to bother people that much about it and you don't want to 'burden' Imra and you refuse to talk to the 'doctor'–_

Timber Wolf looked at him suspiciously, hiding his confusion, though Querl could see it lurking in his eyes.

"You're just gonna give up like that?" he asked warily.

Instead of answering, Querl, ordered, "Never do this again." He shoved the empty pill bottle in Timber Wolf's face. "If you absolutely must take pills to fall asleep because of your other issues, then take less – much less than half a bottle. Safe dosages, Brin. I will be checking, so don't try to fool me. You will never be smart enough for that."

His foster brother snorted. That sounded more like the Coluan he knew.

"And, additionally, you can make me some eclairs – vanilla ones to be precise – for bothering me with this insane nonsense."

Timber Wolf rolled his eyes, but headed for the kitchen anyway. Maybe some cooking would calm him down.

* * *

The undercooks stared when Timber Wolf stomped into the kitchen in one of his (in)famous stormy moods that could give Lightning's temper a run for its money, turned around, and walked right out with Brainiac 5 trailing after him. A moment later, they were back.

_~There's a quiet place in the back.~_ Brainy said, pushing Wolf along – but only because the lycan was letting him, since he didn't think anyone would be happy if he accidentally broke the genius.

"The food's gonna burn," Timber Wolf growled at the undercooks; they went back to their duties. As Brainy had promised, there was a separate area found through a short corridor. Timber Wolf raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't this the pantry...?" he began.

It was a very large 'pantry'. It was actually a small, homey kitchen that the Legionnaires used. Timber Wolf hadn't realized it had multiple entryways.

Brainy nodded. "Yes. Though it is improperly named."

Timber Wolf ignored the Coluan and began to gather the ingredients.

Brainy joined him in pulling things out of the cabinets, and Timber Wolf watched him with a careful eye – he still hadn't forgotten an earlier incident with the salted, instead of sweetened, coffee (apparently, despite his twelfth-level intellect, Brainy was an absolute horror in the kitchen – he'd mentioned once that Coluans had fewer taste buds than other species, and that was one of the reasons why he couldn't cook – though Wolf had to admit despite his ineptitude in baking, Brainy was good at making salads and could whip up a nice tuna salad whenever he went to the kitchen).

Timber Wolf's eyes widened as he saw the newest small container that his teammate produced from the cabinet. His nose wrinkled slightly at the tingly scent.

"We don't put pepper in eclairs!" he hissed.

Brainy looked at him quizzically, head cocked slightly. "We don't?"

"No!" the Zuunian exclaimed, snatching up the other items Brainy had taken out of the cabinet. He opened a jar and grabbed a spoon. "What is this?"

The other Legionnaire checked the label. "Flour."

Timber Wolf dipped the spoon in slightly and tasted the white powder. "This is icing sugar, Brainy."

"It is not!" Brainy denied. "The jar says flour!"

Timber Wolf, however, was adamant. "I know what sugar tastes like, and this is it!" he insisted.

"I am absolutely sure that this is flour!"

"This. Is. Sugar."

Brainy grabbed the jar and turned it around. "The label clearly states that this is flour!"

"Are you gonna believe a label or the guy with the enhanced sense of taste?" Timber Wolf asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He looked at the label. It did say 'flour'. Timber Wolf scowled at it. "That's not right," he muttered.

"Just because you have an inability to take three seconds of your time to actually check what the label states –"

At the end of his already limited patience with the Coluan, Timber Wolf quickly scooped up more sugar with the spoon and shoved it into Brainy's mouth. "Sugar," he said firmly.

Brainy glared at him and spat the spoon out."Well, now that we've both proved our points to each other..." His speech degenerated into discontented muttering.

Timber Wolf, having had enough practice to ignore his foster-brother whenever he went into his 'rambling genius' mode, decided to check the other various jars and boxes first by sniffing them, then by dipping a clean spoon in and tasting them.

It didn't take him long to realize that they were _all _mislabeled. Someone had switched them.

_Who...?_ he wondered for a split second; but then two familiar scents – previously masked by the other strong odors in the pantry – wafted into his nose, and he realized exactly who would do such a thing.

_Kono and Chameleon Boy._

"Oh, those little –"

"I think we've had quite enough strong language for one day, thank you," Brainy interrupted him quickly.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it, though," Brainy said pointedly, gesturing to the Psionic Legion Tattoo on his hand.

Timber Wolf rolled his eyes. "We need to relabel these things." He scowled as Brainy reached for the jar and snatched it back, prompting a raised eyebrow from the genius. "Nice try, but seeing you can't tell flour from icing sugar, I'll be doing the labelling."

"Your literary skills are still lacking," Brainy pointed out.

"They are not! Grace said that I've improved a lot over the past few months!" Timber Wolf insisted.

"As I recall, you still get the spellings for 'flour' and 'flower' confused."

"I do not!"

"Oh, really?" Brainy challenged. "Spell 'flower' for me, then – the plant one."

"F-L-O..." Timber Wolf paused for a moment, trying to remember. "...U-R?" He tried not to make it sound like a question, but that's what it ended up as.

Brainy smirked triumphantly at him. Realizing he was wrong, Timber Wolf scowled and began, "Oh, you can go straight to h–"

"I believe I can claim my prize now, thank you." Quick as thought, Brainy snatched the sugar jar from him and started labeling it correctly.

Timber Wolf glared. "Fine," he relented, slightly ungraciously. "I'll identify it, you label."

Brainy took the flour jar (the real one, filled with actual flour) and burned the Interlac lettering for the word into the glass with a small torch he produced from his cybernetic hand.

"They cannot switch the labels if they're engraved into the jars," he said smugly.

Together, they managed to reorganize the ingredients, with Brainy doing the spelling and Timber Wolf identifying them as fast as he could – he may not be skilled at literacy, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was identifying food. It took only half an hour before the boys completely relabeled everything in the pantry. After a few more minutes of getting out the appropriate ingredients, they were finally ready to make the eclairs.

"All right, let's get started," Timber Wolf said, picking up a bottle of vanilla essence and some icing sugar.

Another half hour later saw Brainiac 5 leaving the kitchen with a plateful of eclairs and an immensely satisfied took on his face as he took a bite out of one of them.

Timber Wolf rolled his eyes slightly and cleaned up quickly. He snuck out of the 'pantry' and snagged a steak out from under the still-awake cooks' noses and dashed up to his room, careful to avoid being noticed by anyone who might be wandering the halls – but especially the various security features built into Star Pavilion. He knew he'd show up on most of the cameras, but he prided himself on being able to avoid the more hidden sorts of detection. Asking things might have been the social norm – but to Timber Wolf, the thrill of sneaking around was too tempting to pass up. Besides, he didn't want his natural hunting talent to get rusty.

He ate his stolen steak in silence, careful not to make a mess, and then flopped down onto his mattress, dreading what he was sure was going to be a long night – at least, what remained of it.

* * *

**February 25th, 3011**

~ Apartment A, Star Pavilion 04:53 ~

* * *

Timber Wolf was lying in his bed, and he stared at the ceiling as he heard his chronometer tick one minute closer to morning. The nightmares came back again, just as he predicted. He shuddered as he recalled the familiar sense of dread whenever he saw that gloved hand holding aloft a clean scalpel as it gleamed in the burning bright spotlight – and he, just a young boy at the time, was held down by straps that rubbed against his skin, unable to escape. He tensed as he remembered how the blade felt while it was cutting deep into his flesh.

Then his thoughts changed and he forced himself back to reality.

_How long have I been here doing this? Five hours? Six? I lost count somewhere._

Without thinking about it, he reached over for the pill bottle on his nightstand and dumped out half the bottle into his palm.

His hand was at his mouth when Brainiac 5's voice cut through the force of habit.

_"You could have died, Brin!"_

With a sigh, he carefully picked up the pill bottle in his other hand and poured the little white capsules back into the container. Then he picked three out again – gently – stuck the cap back on the bottle, and set it firmly in his nightstand drawer. He tossed the pills into his mouth and swallowed before the bitter substance could start to dissolve on his tongue.

Flopping back onto his mattress, he wished for the day when he wouldn't have to rely on the pills to help him sleep.

* * *

**End of Episode 2.4/Interlude**


	8. Episode 3 Part 1: Home and Family

_A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)_  
_Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 3: Honoring the Oath – Part 1: Home and Family

_Song: Wind Queen – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~The Miagani Labyrinth, Wayne Manor; 10:15~_

* * *

Eclipse, co-leader and a founder of the Knights of Caligine, was meditating in the dojo, contemplating the morning silence of the Caves. Most of the team would be up by now or getting in from a night shift – the latter would be either sleeping or venturing upstairs to visit the Manor's resident children. Eclipse made a mental note to call Arctic and Gaia later that day to check on their status and briefly wondered where the hell Black and Void had disappeared off to.

Nearby, someone stretched a leg. Eclipse frowned.

Silhouette stretched, letting out a sigh; Eclipse opened his eyes and swiveled his head around to frown at her.

The two Knight leaders looked like brother and sister – and for all anyone knew, they could have been. Though Silhouette was a shade darker than Eclipse, they both had chocolate brown skin, dark hair, brown eyes, and slim athletic builds – but that was where the similarities ended. Eclipse's hair was shaved close to his scalp while Silhouette's was in thick cornrow braids that were gathered into a ponytail. Eclipse was also slightly broader in the shoulders, and taller than his partner by about a half-hand's width. His face was round where Silhouette's was diamond-shaped, and his nose looked as if it had been broken at least twice in his lifetime.

"I'm trying to meditate," Eclipse said pointedly.

"Sorry, I got cramped."

Eclipse sighed, then uncrossed his legs and flipped to his feet, lending her a hand up.

"Then we might as well get breakfast," he reasoned, leading the way out of the dojo.

As soon as they stepped out of the sliding doors, the sound of a choked sob greeted their ears. Both Eclipse and Silhouette swiveled towards the source of the noise and stopped.

Gaia was slumped against the wall with her head buried in her knees, her arms wrapped around her curled-up legs in a self-hug. Her mahogany hair was freed of its usual restricting braid and was scattered all over the place, concealing her face.

"Gaia?" Eclipse asked cautiously, approaching her.

She didn't reply.

"Gaia," Eclipse said again, gently touching her shoulder. As expected, she jumped a kilometer and jerked her head up. "Calm down; it's just me."

She ducked her head again before he could see her face – but it was too late. Both Eclipse and Silhouette had already see her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Eclipse allowed himself to be shocked for a moment – he hadn't seen Gaia cry, _ever_ – not in the three, four years he had known her, anyway.

"Charl, what's wrong?" he asked gently. It was rare for the older Knights to use real names – even with each other – but sometimes, they felt like they needed to.

"Don't call me that," she mumbled. "It's not my name."

"Gaia," Silhouette cut in. "What's wrong? Where's Arctic? Did you go talk to Echo yet?"

Gaia lifted her head a bit to shake it. "I was...going to my room to get something. Ar's back in New Metropolis."

"What do you need to get? I'll help you."

Gaia shook her head again and took a breath. "No, I can get it later." She straightened out her legs and started flipping a flat holoscopedia(1) disk in her fingers. "I need to tell everyone something."

Eclipse shook his head. "No – you're clearly very upset." Gaia looked ready to protest, so he amended, "How important is it?"

She hesitated a moment. "If not stopped, we could be looking at a galactic crisis."

Silhouette gasped in outrage. "You've gotta be kidding me! We just _stopped_ one crisis, and now _another_ has the gall to pop up?!"

Gaia chuckled. "I don't think the universe cares about inconvenience, Sil."

Eclipse nodded. "How 'bout this? Tell us and Arctic what you need to tell us and we'll tell the others."

"No, _I_ have to do it," Gaia said stubbornly, pushing herself to her feet. "It's not just about the galaxy – it's about me, too."

"Okay. You can tell us Bats and Arctic your story, and we'll _help_ you tell the others."

"No. Everyone – I don't wanna have to tell it more than I have to."

Silhouette sighed. "You're one stubborn girl, aren'cha?"

Gaia smiled. "We all are."

"I prefer 'determined'," Eclipse quipped. "Come on – we'll have to call Vision so she can come over. When do you wanna do this?"

"Now."

* * *

_~Tealboro, New Metropolis; 10:20 ~_

* * *

"Remind me why we're lurking," Voidfire requested, settling next to his brother on the small, deserted rooftop of a sky-building.

"The lightning-wielder is back," Black Eternity informed him, seeming not to hear Voidfire's words.

"And you're sure it's that same creepy guy Gaia told us about?"

"Yes."

"You know what I find funny?" Voidfire asked then.

"What?"

"Gaia was having those nightmares when she first joined, so we made her tell us why, and we got a whole tragic backstory..." Black Eternity stared at him; Voidfire held his hands up in pacifying manner "It's not that I don't believe her – I'm just saying we got more of a story than we expected, but we never bothered to ask her name. 'Cause we all know that Charlotte is just an alias."

"Names are personal things – she will tell us her true name when she is ready."

"True name?" Arctic questioned. The two Dhavmere looked up as the Glacheren swooped down and hovered there. "Since you two are lurking about, have you seen Gaia?"

"No," said Black as Void said, "Yes. This morning."

"She went back home," Black explained.

"How do you know that if you haven't seen her?" Arctic demanded.

"You asked if I'd _seen_ her, not if I knew where she was," the Dhavmere pointed out, not bothering to answer the question.

"Why did she go home, then?"

The two Dhavmere stared at him.

"Maybe we should let _her_ tell you that," Voidfire suggested.

Arctic snorted and landed next to them. "Maybe I should. Care to make a portal?"

"I can't make long-distance portals." Voidfire held up a forged metal circle. "But Black Lance gave me a spell set-up for it."

"Then _use_ it."

* * *

_ ~Gaia's Room, The Miagani Labyrinth; 10:45~_

* * *

Gaia stepped into her room and closed the door, flopping onto the wine-red comforter of her bed.

"I missed my room." She had spent several hours in her Pavilion quarters getting information packets together and avoiding Arctic before heading over here.

Her room at the Cave was homier than the one she had at Star Pavilion. The Pavilion was modern, with blue walls and carpet; but the Cave was a throwback to the past, and it reminded her of Ceres – with the exception of the lake outside the reinforced, fortified glass windows.

She talked to the fish sometimes, telepathically. No one thought fish would have anything interesting to say – but these fish did – it was farmyard animals that had nothing of interest to communicate.

"Gaia, you're back!" Echo Cipher swung the door open with a broad grin (for privacy reasons, the bedrooms had been built with a device that prevented them from shadowphasing in) and Gaia looked up, smiling at the sight of her friend and the older Knight's gray-and-black German Shepherd, Duchess (affectionately dubbed 'the Bathound), with her rapidly-wagging tail. Duchess bounded over, making whuffing sounds and begging to be petted, pushing against Gaia's legs with her head.

"Hi, Echo. Hey Duchess." Gaia scratched behind Duchess' ear absently.

"Aw, sweetie – your eyes are red," Echo Cipher said mournfully, striding over to give her a hug. "How are you?"

"I _was_ fine." Duchess laid her head in Gaia's lap.

"_Was_? When did you get back? When did you get 'not fine'?"

"This morning." Gaia sighed. "I saw someone I thought I'd never see again."

Echo Cipher raised an eyebrow. "From the Vanguard?"

Gaia shook her head. "No. You know Lightning and I met at school, right?"

"Yeah."

"It was a boarding school. There was another lightning-wielder there – a lot, actually. One of them was named Anbar. He has a nasty grudge on me and Lightning – more on Lightning, though. I _saw_ him today."

Echo Cipher's eyebrow climbed higher. "Is that the important thing you have to tell us?"

"No. No, there's more." Gaia stood up, went around to the front of the bed, opened the trunk there, and started digging around in it. "There's a lot more. And I'm sorry I didn't tell everyone sooner."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you had a good reason," Echo Cipher said. "After all, Black likes you – he wouldn't if you were an enemy. He can smell them a kilometer away."

Gaia smiled. "Thanks for that word of comfort." She grabbed a bag and pulled out a stuffed griffin. Duchess poked at with her nose curiously. "No, Duchess – this is mine." Duchess whuffed.

Echo Cipher giggled. "You have a griffin plush toy?"

"My mother gave it to me," Gaia said defensively, hugging the griffin and slinging the bag over her shoulder. "Come on, the others are waiting."

"Oh, I'm invited to this meeting?"

"'Course you are – it's a team meeting."

* * *

"Hang on, Frosty," Eclipse said, blocking Arctic's path down the hallway.

"I want to talk my partner, thanks," Arctic said irritably, trying to push his way through; but Eclipse stood firm.

"She's upset."

"About _what?"_

"I don't know – she hasn't told us yet. She just said it was about her, and it's also about a possible galactic crisis."

Arctic threw his hands up. "I blame the Legion for this."

Eclipse smirked wryly. "I don't think it's _their_ fault the galaxy is always in jeopardy."

Arctic grumbled to himself. "We didn't _have_ galactic crises before we met them!"

Eclipse chose to ignore that. "We're gonna have a meeting in the Batcave soon. You tell the Legion you're here?"

"No..."

"I'll send a message. You go. You can talk to Gaia when you're less...abominable."

Arctic scowled and flew off.

Eclipse called after him, "You should really get less touchy about that!"

* * *

_~Tealboro, New Metropolis; 10:52 ~_

* * *

Cagn did not have a home on Earth. She was a nomad, taking odd jobs to sleep in hostels or eat at least two meals a day. She meditated so she could run on limited sleep as she continued her vigil over the Legionnaires and the city as best she could. She did not need shelter from the elements – only places to hide from her enemies, and vantage points from which to see the city.

Mostly, she watched the Legion and not the Knights, because Adeola was safer in Neo Gotham than Garth was in New Metropolis.

Cagn settled down on a rooftop as the city came to life on the streets below and hovercrafts began to straggle out of their homes in the sky. She pushed the hood of her blue cloak back, revealing thick, curly hair, watching as the sun slowly began to awaken, banishing the mists and dark that had settled on the city while it was absent. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and meditated.

It had been quite some time since she had taken on this guise, traveling between this world and Guruhi to keep the children she considered her own safe. Many years of solitude had taken their toll on her.

Slowly, the thin, dark lines on her skin began to fill out, tracing tribal designs along her arms. Loops, swirls, curves, sharp stabs – the black ink began to glow a soft rose color. Cagn breathed deeply, opening eyes that had become pitch black pools.

_"The years have not been kind, my friend."_

Cagn silently agreed. _"I am only glad you talked me out of my foolish action."_

_"Yes, being killed by Arn would have been rather unfortunate."_ The other voice sounded wry. _"So, how is little Garth?"_

_"Not so little."_

_"I know, you've said so many times. Just show me what's happened."_

* * *

_End Episode 3.1_

(1) Holoscopedia – short for Holographic Scope Encyclopedia, a holoscopedia is a holographic device that aids one in gathering, analyzing and understanding information.


	9. Episode 3 Part 2: True Name

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga_

Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1

Episode 3: Honoring the Oath – Part 2: True Name

_Song: The Truth – Audiomachine_

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~The Bat Cave, Wayne Manor; 11:35~_

* * *

The long table had been recently replaced by a round one with a hollow space in the center – leading to Red X jokingly calling them the Knights of the Round Table until Silhouette pointed out that they were not in Britain, they didn't have a King Arthur, a Camelot, or a Morgan Le Fay (and no, Black Lance was not Merlin) and that Arthur's round table didn't have a huge hole in the middle.

The Knight's crest – a crescent moon around a stylized bat – was lit up on the floor, illuminating the dark cave. Sonia was typing away on the holographic keyboard as people began to trickle in.

"Oh, you're back?" Falcon asked, directing the question at Voidfire – who had his feet on the table – and the vaguely-humanoid shadow next to him.

Shadowhawk and Zephyrclaw were already present and awake thanks to fruit and cups of coffee. Duchess was sitting at Zephyrclaw's side, ears pricked to attention and head swivelling around.

"We already know what she's going to say, so we decided to chime in," Voidfire explained.

"And how come _you_ know?" Falcon asked; then he noticed that Crescent was in danger of running into the table, bunny and all – and he rushed to steer her to a seat.

"Late night?" Black Eternity's voice drawled.

"Jokerz. All over the place." Falcon guided Crescent to a chair. "They're running amok."

"Ow! Watch the ribs, the ribs!" a familiar voice complained. Falcon rolled his eyes as an unmasked Red X limped in, supported by Steel Arrow. The master thief didn't have his uniform on – just black pants and a tight gauze bandage around his torso with a medical pauldron on his shoulder and extending to the middle of his torso.

"Stop _whining_ and take it like a proper Bat," Steel Arrow reprimanded.

Falcon rescued Carmichael (the gray lionhead bunny) from Crescent's arms and put it on the table. The rabbit sneezed and wriggled its nose at Falcon, who glared at it.

"I blame you for this," he told the bunny.

Crescent yawned and put her head down on the table, burrowing her face in her arms.

Arctic shadow-phased in with Eclipse, closely followed by Silhouette. "Talking to animals, Bird Boy?" he teased Falcon.

"Blame it on your partner, Jack Frost."

"What happened to _you_?" Arctic asked Red X as Steel Arrow helped the Martian to a chair.

"He got caught in a gang turf war," Echo Cipher giggled. "Steel Arrow had to go rescue him,"

"Why am I not surprised?"

Just then an exhausted Black Lance and Vision appeared from a portal.

Vision looked as if she had just rolled out of bed. Her hair was all over the place and her clothes appeared as if they had been hurriedly yanked on. She nodded her thanks to Lance and went to sit next to Shadowhawk, who offered her a muffin; she took it gratefully and starting munching on it. Lance slumped into a seat next to Voidfire and snagged his own muffin from a nearby basket, ignoring Voidfire's jibes.

"Breakfast has arrived," Sonia called. She was coming down to the Central Platform with the breakfast cart, a hovering helper droid, and Alyss from the open turbo-lift.

Eclipse did a silent headcount as Gaia and Echo Cipher shadow-phased in with Duchess.

"Why do you have a stuffed griffin?" Red X asked Gaia immediately, pointing at the toy tucked into the crook of her elbow.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "It makes me feel better."

"Crescent, wake up," Falcon said, shaking his partner.

"Allow me," said Voidfire, who was sitting next to Crescent. He placed a hand on her head and immediately she shrieked, shooting an uppercut into Voidfire's chin. The Dhavmere yelped, ducking away from her and rubbing his injured chin in pain while Carmichael the bunny whuffed.

"What was _that_ for?!" Crescent demanded. "Yanking me outta a nice dream..."

"We're having a meeting," Falcon explained.

"Everyone settle down," Alyss ordered as she stepped off the turbo lift, tying back her red hair. "That includes you, Torri."

"Yes, Mom," Crescent muttered.

The helper droid began passing out the breakfast things from the cart, beeping politely as the humans took their seats. Gaia patted Duchess' head and sat down; Duchess sank onto her haunches next to her, sitting up straight.

Silhouette coughed. "If we can bring everyone to order," she started as trays bobbed around with condiments, "Gaia is heading the briefing this morning. We apologize for doing this on a Sunday, but it's of dire importance."

Vision yawned. "No, no, I understand."

"Thanks for the breakfast, though," Red X said.

"You're welcome. Gaia?" Eclipse nodded to her. "When you're ready."

Gaia finished her muffin, washed it down with her milk, and stood, walking to the front of the table to face the team.

"Ooookay..." She had never given a briefing before in front of the entire team before. "First off, I'd like to review. Database, access Holoscopedia, Gaia's Briefing, File 1."

The computer beeped, projecting a series of images as well as a scrolling briefing in front of each person.

"On August 29th, during the Embassy Battle, I was attacked by a Thanagarian by the name of Quain Yla, who was posing as the assistant of Ambassador Devak Mal. This act led the Ambassador to grant me a boon to make up for the treachery of a fellow Thanagarian. Quain was held in Thanagarian custody, but he escaped, and was later found dead and brutally murdered. We later confirmed that Quain was in the employ of a faction called Sovereign – a faction working behind the scenes during the Neo Kobra Conspiracy at the Ambassadorial Summit. Sovereign was on the lookout for children to steal, looking to purge their memories and make them soldiers. Useful, because many conventional armies won't gun down a child."

A flash of outrage and outright fury rippled on the Knights' faces and eyes, followed by some low growls – but they did not speak.

"And Yla was trying to get you," Arctic surmised. "Not too smart – you'd think they'd go after younger kids."

"They do," Gaia agreed. "Except in _special_ cases. He wasn't after _me_ – he didn't even know I was there. He was after Lightning."

"But you're sixteen now and he's seventeen – you're both too old," Red X pointed out. "And why was Yla after you two, anyway?"

"Listen to me very _carefully_." Gaia leaned on the table to add emphasis to her words. "I _lied_. Not because I didn't trust you – but because I was _running_. Sovereign takes young children and only goes for the older kids if they're trying to _recapture_ them. Garth and I are the only two in _decades_ who got out of that place in one piece without being caught. You all know that my name is _not_ Charlotte; and the reason I am telling you about Sovereign _now_ is because they've found me at last. I've not a clue what they're planning – but I'll be _damned_ if they make me keep running."

Gaia let out a shuddering sigh, leaning on the table as if burdened – and silence encompassed the cave.

Red X leaned towards Steel Arrow and whispered loudly, "Are we supposed to yell at her?"

Immediately a burst of low chuckles and giggles dissipated the silence; Gaia smiled.

"Yell at Griffin Girl?" Black Lance said in horror. "Never."

"It won't be a problem, then," Arctic said, absently forming a shapeless ice statue. His fist came down on it, shattering the ice into mere particles of dust and making Echo (who was sitting next to him) flinch.

"Why didn't you tell us all of this _before_, Gaia?" Arctic demanded. "Did you think we'd judge you or something? Didn't you trust us?"

"Some things aren't about trust," Black Eternity replied; but Gaia waved a hand at him for silence.

"I told Black and Void not long after I first came," she said.

The team visibly relaxed – but Arctic did not. "And why not _me_?" he wanted to know.

Gaia looked away.

"Look at me!" Arctic shot out of his chair, kicking it back several feet. "We're _partners_, Gaia! We're supposed to be united, share _everything_! I know we have secrets – but you said I am your brother – your oath-brother – but you only share everything with Lightning! Why do you trust him more than you trust us?! Than _me_?!"

"Arner..."

"ANSWER ME!"

"_Tomo elfu_(1)! Damnit, Arner, it's not about _trust_!"

"Then what _is_ it?! Why –"

"SHUT IT!" Gaia's shriek echoed in the cave as her fists came down on the table with such force that they threatened to crack it. "Pox-rot it, it's not about TRUST! If he hadn't _been_ there, Garth would know just as much as you do – NOTHING!"

Duchess leaned on the table and barked once, sharply, silencing Red X's next comment.

Arctic opened his mouth and closed it again. "Gaia..."

"It was never about trust. It was about keeping people _safe_."

"If you do everything alone no one will be safe." Arctic retorted. "And you were preaching to me about teamwork all this time?"

"If I may cut in..." Black Eternity interrupted, cutting off Gaia's next retort. "Gaia told us – myself and Void here. And before you say anything, Arctic, it was when she first came. She had nightmares – she still does, far more than normal people should. Even for people such as ourselves. It's natural for her and it should not be. Naturally, people – especially those who have suffered through a traumatic experience – do not tell all their secrets as soon as they meet new comrades.

"But as time passed and you all became her family it became harder to tell. The longer we put something off the harder it becomes. We create illusionary fears. She did not want to disappoint you – but she also did not want to put you in harm's way by giving you information that certain forces did not want to you to have. She even tried to keep Garth out of it – but we all see how well _that_ turned out."

Echo Cipher stood and flew over to Gaia, pulling her into a comforting hug and glaring at Arctic.

"Don't you _dare_ frown at me," he spat. "I have a right to be angry."

"And she –" Echo began – but Gaia cut her off.

"You _all_ have a right to be angry." Gaia exhaled. "Arner's right. He has _every_ right to be angry. But I wasn't trying to _deceive_ you. I was trying to have something resembling a normal life. Even if it was an illusion."

Arctic sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "Look – I'm sorry I yelled at you. But lying makes things complicated – especially when you have to _admit_ to the lie. You can have a good reason for lying – but try to admit to it sooner rather than later, especially if it's to people you trust. But why _now_? Why not weeks ago? Did this come from a long mediation? Or was it...something else?"

Gaia sighed. "I saw an old enemy of mine just this morning, lurking in the shadows. He's very dangerous and highly unpredictable."

"The psychopathic lightning-wielder," Voidfire quipped. Gaia swivelled her head around so fast that her hair whipped Echo's face (the other Knight winced and stepped back) and a bone cracked. Gaia took no notice.

"You've _seen_ him," she accused.

Voidfire paused and swore silently.

"It was Black's idea not to tell you," he said, pointing at the shadow as Black Eternity became fully solid, folding his arms over his chest. "We saw him at the Factory when we were helping X blow it up – he was protecting Queen Kobra."

Gaia blinked, horrified. "That means Sovereign's been here longer than I thought. For _months_."

"I think we need to stop with the hiding of information." Silhouette frowned. "If you have _any_ information that would be relevant to us – and dangerous psychos on the loose is relevant – at least tell Oracle and she'll sort it out before telling the rest of us. Those who agree, raise your hands."

It was unanimous.

"Good," Silhouette approved.

"Can you explain what Sovereign is, please?" Falcon asked.

"They are called the Sovereign Syndicate, a criminal faction who has had military dictatorship over a wandering asteroid called Guruhi," Gaia explained. "They control the Sovereign Military Academy, a school that uses a special unit called 'Collectors' to kidnap unwilling children, pre-teens, or younger – and trains them to the perfect soldiers, whether they have metagenetic abilities or not."

"How long have they been around?" Eclipse asked, as Echo decided to sit down again and pulled up a chair close to Gaia.

"I don't know – it could be _centuries_. They operate under a cloak of myths. They're like us in that way. No one can ever prove they exist, so on many worlds they're just boogeymen, a monster in the closet, or something."

"Ah, the mythical thing _is_ popular," Shadowhawk noted. "If you don't mind me asking...how did they...capture you?"

Gaia held up a finger, picking up her stuffed griffin. "No more questions. I shall explain. But first...I can't tell you the whole story right now – there's quite a lot and we'll be in the middle of a war if I take that much time – so I'll tell you the abridged version with the important stuff, and fill in any extra details as we go."

She paused and continued, "On Ceres, it's traditional for parents to take their child on a special trip every seven years until the kids reach the age of twenty-one. My first – and last – one was to get me acquainted with the galaxy at large. My mother and father, Aminah Montaigne-Anu and Tristan Dia-Anemoi, gave me Sunset when I was a baby, but I left her behind in my trunk –"

"Adeola!" Black Lance burst out suddenly, inducing stares. "Sorry."

"No interruptions," Echo reminded him.

"But that's her _name_!" Black Lance objected. "I _told_ you, Eclipse, didn't I? Adeola Montaigne-Dia. She died – supposedly – in the same accident as her parents years ago!"

"Since she wasn't conspiring to kill us, I didn't think it was terribly important," Eclipse defended in response to Arctic's scowl.

"'Adeola Montaigne-Dia and her parents, denoted as _Mume_(2) Tristan and _Kem_(3) Aminah Montaigne-Dia after their marriage, proclaimed deceased in an event denoted as the 'Tanshu Stardrome Incident, which happened in the EGC year of 3001," Gaia recited. "That's what was said in the Ceran Life-Records when I joined the A.V. They had to change it, but the information is highly confidential. And yes, we _did_ live. And before you interrupt me _again_, yes, my parents are quite alive – though I'm not telling you anymore than that. Yes, there was an 'accident' on Tanshu's Orbital Stardrome – but that was because the Collectors didn't realize my parents could _sense_ me – so when they snatched me my parents intercepted them at the abandoned cruiser bay they were going to use to escape."

"They only went after you?" Black Lance asked. Gaia nodded.

"But there were other kids on the cruiser," she told him. "They must have been coming from another job or just they just took one at a time."

"So, what does the plush toy have to do with anything?" Red X asked.

Gaia ignored him. "I've been hiding, my parents have been hiding – and my family back home has no idea that they're alive. They wouldn't know _I'm_ alive if they hadn't insisted I go back after breaking out of Sovereign. They wanted me to have a normal life, I guess."

Red X raised his hand in confusion.

"I was in Sovereign for four years," Gaia explained. "I met Garth there. When we were twelve, we broke out, but we got split up on the space dock. I didn't know where Garth went, but I went in search of my parents' designated reunion place. And I had to look for a while, but they were there. They told me to go back – but I couldn't stay home – so I joined the Vanguard and then I came here. As far as I know, my parents have been trying to secretly coordinate a war against Sovereign."

"But you made it sound like you were an orphan every time parents came up," Zephyrclaw pointed out.

"In case anyone realized I was Adeola," Gaia explained. "In any case, Garth and I can't fight them alone. We need help."

There was a flicker of movement as shadow rippled and Arctic appeared by her side. She looked up at him.

"Gonna yell at me?" she asked.

"You know me better than that." Arctic stared at her; then she flinched as he rested his cold hand on her head.

"You are a Caligine _Knight_," he whispered, his eyes turning cold. "_My_ partner, my sister, our comrade. You chose _us_, not them. Your pain, your suffering, your burdens are ours to share; and if these bastards _do_ try to take you back, we will take every last one of them to hell and give them a war that will chase them into oblivion for _eternity_."

A slow smile crossed his partner's face as she rested her hand on top of his.

* * *

(1) Tomo Elfu – Ceran for 'thousand hells'  
(2) Mume – Husband  
(3) Kem – Wife  
(4) On Ceres, to denote married status, married couples combine their surnames and add the prefixes of Mume or Kem to their surnames. Sometimes, they are referred to as Mume or Kem with their original surnames.


	10. Episode 3 Part 3: Echoes and Stitches

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Written and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx  
_  
_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**_Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga_**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 3: Honoring the Oath – Part 3: Echoes and Stitches

_Song: Dark Harbor – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

February 24th, 3011

_~Sovereign/Neo Kobra Headquarters; 14:22~_

* * *

The 'worry stone' clenched tightly in Anbar's fist cracked as amber lightning surged over its surface. Fissures burst into existence and little rock fragments rained to the floor.

Queen Kobra stood stiffly on the edge of the room with Monica Sade as Eve Aries stood a few feet back from her volatile 'son'.

"What do you _mean_, I have to stay _put_?! I know them the best! I can find them; I can get them _myself! _No _loser_in a bat cape scares me!" His voice would have been a childish whine were it not for the deep growl issuing from between clenched teeth. Amber lightning danced around his body as his black, already-electrocuted hair smoldered. "I found Lightning before and it'll be even easier now."

Eve drummed her fingers together and slid a glance at Sade before striding over to the bounty hunter. Sade glared.

"Your arms, please?"

Sade held them up reluctantly, showing lightning print burn marks. Eve sighed and turned back to Anbar.

"_That_ is why. Anbar, my dear, I _truly_ appreciate your enthusiasm. I realize that you have a little...disagreement to settle with Garth and Adeola – but you certainly _cannot_ go about attacking your own comrades, especially when they have served you well and _especially _when they are not in our employ."

Anbar opened his mouth furiously as Eve held up a hand. "The reason I say this is because if we remain united we cannot lose. Many organizations such as our own that have defied and fought against these self-proclaimed 'defenders of the people' did not have unity. They bickered amongst themselves, united only by their greed; and the heroes were stronger in their unity. _That_ is why they win. If we break them and _we _are united, Garth and Adeola will be alone."

"Nevertheless, we cannot let failure go unpunished," Queen Kobra pointed out, her opinion of the telepath rising several notches.

"Of course not. But –"

"I _had _her!" Anbar insisted. "She was standing right there, in the open!"

"With a Tamaranean," Sade pointed out, pulling her sleeves over her Anbar-inflicted injuries. "A strong one, with stellarkinesis."

Anbar scowled, lightning ripping across the floor from the blade of his bladed _tonfa_. "If I grab mountain bird, Garth _has _to give up."

"The Dhavmere will hunt you to the end of the universe," Queen Kobra promised.

Anbar threw back his head with a short barking laugh. "You're terrified of _them_? They're nothing I can't handle."

Queen Kobra let her mouth twitch slightly. "Trust me, lightning child – you have not seen nearly enough of the galaxy to judge what you can and cannot handle."

"Though, I do agree with Anbar."

Queen Kobra raised an eyebrow in silent question at her telepathic ally.

"Adeola is Garth's sole remaining comrade from his Sovereign days," Eve explained. "He shall feel an obligation to keep her safe, especially if she is not as strong as she appears to be."

Anbar grinned. "Divide and conquer."

* * *

Cagn moved swiftly; she was practically a gust of wind as she skipped and ran over the rooftops and shot into the air, landing lightly on vechs. The vech-monitors barely registered her weight before she was off again, her body and her cloak becoming smaller and smaller before she was nothing but a puff of black smoke – and then even that was gone.

* * *

_Gaia yelped as Anbar swung around, slamming her forcefully into the rough walls of the tunnel rock. Before she could let out a shriek of pain as rocks tore into her skin, the metal blade of his blade tonfa_ _was laid lengthwise across her neck and his free hand was pressed into her stomach. He shifted his weight so he could lean on her left arm –_ _leaving her damaged right arm free – and deliberately trod on her left foot, pressing his weight into it._

_She craned her head up so her throat wouldn't get sliced, trying to avoid looking into his crazed face. A razor smile sliced through his facial features as both eyes, filled with amber lightning, danced with manic pleasure._

_Gaia held in a whimper as Anbar leaned in close; his breath –_ _warm, but with the scent of crushed ginger on it – fanned across her scarred face. He caught a drop of blood on his tongue and she tried to not to watch as he savored it. He licked his lips and moved closer._

"_Ah, mountain bird. It's been too long."_

_Gaia's lips curved in a bitter smile. "Not long enough. Ah, a_–_" A moan of pain slipped out even as she bit her tongue; his boot was crunching into her foot and he leaned a little harder on her arm._

"_Come on, birdie," he said, his killer's smile widening as he leaned closer. "Isn't it a little mean to say that..." His tongue swiped at the blood on her cheek as she bit back a gag. "...to an old friend?" _

_The _blade tonfa _pressed harder, as if daring her to reply; Gaia turned her head away and up, trying to get away from the sword. Anbar chuckled; he could see the fear in her eyes and the water beginning to fill them. _

_"Aw, is birdie scared? Are ye wishin' fer little Garth to come save ye?" He pressed his weight into her arm even more and she bit back a cry, concentration lost with the swarm of pain throbbing through her body. "And I know you, pretty bird. No matter how strong you get, your weaknesses are the same."_

* * *

"Griffin Girl, wake up!"

Red X shook her shoulder furiously as her eyes snapped open; her hands shot up to seize his throat, clenching around it tightly.

The unmasked Red X stared at her, completely still, his green eyes wide, his mouth open and head tilted to catch air before she squeezed it out. ~_Gaia, it's just me. No more nightmares.~_

The sound of his voice in her mind startled her, and she slowly let out the breath she had been holding. She dropped her hand, looking around.

She was in her room at the Labyrinth; some of the bats were hanging on the ceiling. Gaia blinked, trying to remember how she got back here, then remembered that she had come to look for something and fallen asleep. The small chest she had come for was on the nightstand, miraculously untouched. She looked at Red X.

"What are you doing here? Where's everyone?"

Red X straightened and rubbed his throat. "Reviewing the arsenal. We figured we'd let you sleep a bit after you...told us about Sovereign and stuff."

Gaia frowned and began to sit up. "I should stop sleeping..."

"What?" Red X asked.

"Never mind – I haven't even told you everything yet."

"It's okay. You said yourself you'll tell us as it comes. It's easier than having a newspaper cannon shot at you."

"Newspaper cannon...?" Gaia asked curiously.

Red X waved it off, rubbing his healing ribs. "Never mind. Look, I know I'm supposed to be the jokester here and the comic relief, but I can _see_you hurting. What's wrong?" Gaia gave him a look, and he added, "Never mind – dumb question. A lot of things. How can I help?"

Gaia opened her mouth, paused, closed it, and sighed. "Nightmares. It's complicated."

"_Life _is complicated, sweetheart. Want me to help?"

"Do you have an anti-nightmare treatment?" she asked skeptically.

Red X grinned. "It's kind of a Martian thing. I'll work on it. But first, we have new toys!"

"New _what?"_

Red X steered Gaia out with little resistance on her part.

"Don't you worry – I promise, you'll love it."

* * *

"I _like _this!" Gaia heard Steel Arrow's cheery voice as she lurked outside the door of the Armory, peering inside. "Why couldn't we get this new gear before?"

"Because we didn't really need it," Falcon said. "But with these Sovereign people invading our turf and going after one of us...well, that's just plain unacceptable."

Gaia let a faint smile trace on her lips.

"What are you waiting for?" Red X asked, rocking back on his feet.

"Just gathering my thoughts."

"This has a nice weight to it," Black Lance appraised, hefting a two-meter long black staff with silver metal placed at even intervals along the black stone. "I didn't know we could forge Dhavmere weapons." He flicked the staff; it shrank slightly, a long blue blade emerging from the top end. _"_Aglaive. Oh, I could do _so much _with this!"

"Yes, we can," Black Eternity agreed.

"Maybe we should just consider officially adopting them..." Voidfire said. "Hang on!" He spun to face his brother. "Did you just _laugh_?"

"No," said Black Eternity, sounding flat.

"You totally _did_! Well...it was more like a low chuckle, I guess..." Voidfire mused.

"Gaia's up," Vision announced. "She's outside the door with X." The youngest Knight chuckled at Gaia's sigh.

"Did you havta give it away?" she muttered.

"Had a good nap?" a new voice inquired.

Gaia quirked an eyebrow as Arctic walked out of the shadows behind her – it was really dark in the Labyrinth. Arctic glared at Red X, who held up his hands.

"Fine, fine, I'm going..." X walked away, leaving them alone.

Gaia opened her mouth, then closed it again and sighed. "Not exactly," she admitted in response to her partner's question. "I had another nightmare..."

"Was it because Zace was lurking about?"

Gaia giggled. "No...it wasn't his fault." She sighed again. Arctic waited. "It was Anbar."

"The lightning-wielder." It wasn't a question.

Gaia nodded. "He's...more...he's...ugh!" She gripped her hair in frustration. "I can't speak!"

"Just remember, I'm listening, whatever it is."

Gaia took a breath. "Anbar is Garth's archnemesis. And don't gimme that look – it's true! Anbar is...I don't want to say 'stronger'. He's a sadistic psychopath and his lightning is barely under control; if he gets near water, he'll electrocute everyone near it – including himself – without even meaning to. Not that he cares if other people get hurt. He nearly killed me and Garth back in Sovereign – and he _has_ killed people. He _laughs_."

Arctic studied her carefully –her flickering panic, the way she gestured and paced back forth. "You're really afraid of him."

"So what if I am?" Gaia snapped. "That doesn't mean I'm afraid of facing him. He's a danger to everything and anyone, no matter who they are or what side they're on. If I have to face him, I will."

"I know. That's what real courage is." He stuck his hand out. "And that's all I ask. Partners?"

Gaia stared at his hand then looked at him with the faintest trace of a smile before taking his hand, ignoring the chill that sank into her skin. "Partners," she agreed.

"Is Gaia here?" Echo Cipher stuck her head through the wall.

Arctic frowned as he released Gaia's hand, allowing her to get warmth back. "Stop that," he told Echo. "It's not healthy."

Echo Cipher shadow-phased through the wall completely. "Stop monopolizing her!" she scolded. "Did you make up?"

Arctic nodded. "We've reached an understanding."

"That's great. Come on, Gaia, wait till you see the new gear! It's fantastic!"

"One last thing," Arctic said to Gaia as Echo Cipher tugged her into the Armory.

"What is it, Arner?"

"It may seem minor, but in light of recent events..." He paused and continued, "You are aware that my family did not get along with my father's birth clan?"

"Yes," Gaia affirmed.

"We defected some weeks ago. It's Ragnar now."

"Arner Longfrost av Ragnar?" Gaia asked.

"Yes." The corners of his mouth lifted into an amused smirk. "It means _War Council_."

Gaia smiled in return. "Well, that's appropriate."

* * *

"Nice of you finally join us," Eclipse quipped.

Steel Arrow, Falcon, Red X, Black Lance, Shadowhawk, Vision, and the two Dhavmere were standing in the armory's testing area – furnished with a single table in the corner and a mat covered floor – when Echo, Arctic, and Gaia arrived. They could hear the sounds of friendly debate from the other aisles.

"We have new gear!" Steel Arrow announced, holding up a waistpack. "Wait till you get a handle on this stuff – it'll knock your socks off! Sovereign won't know what hit 'em!"

Gaia smiled cautiously. "You're all feeling awfully confident."

"Well, if we were mopey and doom and gloom, you'd feel...well...doomed," Vision pointed out cheerfully. "So, who are we up against?"

Eclipse activated the speakers so the other Knights in the armory could hear.

"Their leader is a telepath by the name of Eve Aries," Gaia explained. "She believes that everyone is inherently evil and only covers up their selfish desires by 'doing good'."

"I object to that." Vision frowned. "We are who we are by merit of our own choices and what paths we have taken. There's nothing inherent; good, evil, bad...only our intentions and their outcomes can determine what we do and who we are."

"I doubt she'd listen to your words of wisdom," Gaia said. "She also has this...weird thing for being a mom. So, she has a habit of collecting children, so to speak. But she doesn't take too well to rebellious children. Also, she has a skewed sense of parenting – in my view, anyway. She sees herself as Anbar's mother and he sees her as his mom – if only because she poked at his brain a bit."

The Knights frowned.

"Well, that does _not _sound like a good combination," Voidfire muttered.

"But we did have a defense against Eve," Gaia added. "Black and Void aren't the first Dhavmere I've ever met."

"What?!" Black Lance whirled to stare at her and nearly hit Eclipse in the head with his metal stave. "But how come –"

"Settle down, Lance," Black Eternity directed. "Continue, Gaia."

"On Guruhi, where Sovereign Academy is, I was part of a group in the Academy called the 'Chess Battalion'. There were five divisions – or armies – in total, and Chess was supposed to be the smartest, the most intelligent, and the most loyal. We were groomed to be captains. Unfortunately for them, our brain patterns became so erratic, our thoughts began to...mesh together, in a way – overlapping because we ended up becoming so close – though we never showed it."

"So their ace in the hole became a bomb." Steel Arrow grinned.

"Yup. We started to question Sovereign – I refused to forget my parents. I'd spend every night digging through my mind – and a lot of the others did the same. We were a part of a project: Project Peace-War – converting kids from peaceful worlds into the perfect soldiers, because we had no codes of honor pertaining to war, and nothing to unlearn. But it backfired. Especially when a group of us were on a training assignment and we met two Dhavmere: Xalis Nightcross and her sister, Nisahrel Twilightblade."

Black Eternity and Voidfire exchanged significant looks.

"The two of them had been on Guruhi for quite some time, helping the people in the outer regions live somewhat normal lives even under Sovereign rule, stirring up rebellions...but it wasn't really getting anywhere. People were too afraid; the price for freedom was too high to pay. If anyone tried to escape, it was public execution in the most...gruesomely creative way they could think of. And they made _everyone _watch. Everyone."

Vision looked as if she were going to be sick.

"And if the escapee was killed in the retrieval, they put the body on display. Sometimes they pretended the person was still alive." Gaia swallowed and Arctic cautiously set a cold hand on her shoulder.

"I can't decide whether to be queasy or completely sick..." Echo Cipher mumbled, putting her face in her hands.

"I mimicked blind creatures during those things, when I could get away with it," Gaia went on. "So, Xalis met us. We thought she was the enemy at first – it's how we were trained. I'm not going to go through all the details – but somehow...we started to trust her and she taught us how to protect our thoughts. They helped us fight...but then...Nisah was killed."

Gaia swallowed thickly; flickers of pain registered on the Dhavmere brothers' faces. Voidfire inhaled sharply; Black Eternity closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"A fellow Dhavmere," Black muttered. "Killed by these...Sovereign people."

There was a silence.

"The Dhavmere community is very close," Black Lance explained quietly. "The death of Twilightblade is unacceptable."

"Which means it is our fight more than ever," Voidfire declared with finality. "Go on...Adeola."

Gaia smiled briefly, took a breath and continued.

"Xalis...she _lived_ for revenge from that point on, and we decided we were _really_ gonna start a rebellion – to help Xalis help us, get revenge for Nisah. We decided to call ourselves, instead of the Chess Battalion, the Outriders of Dawn."

* * *

_End Episode 3.3_


	11. Episode 4 Part 1: Logistics

**A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
Developed, Written, and Produced by Mirror's Mirage  
Edited by Peonywinx**

ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time

* * *

_The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga_

Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1

Episode 4: Lightning Descent – Part 1: Logistics

Song: Forgotten World – Brand X Music

* * *

_February 26th, 3011_

_~Star Pavilion, Founders' Chambers, Level 9; 22:10~_

* * *

Lightning sat in his office with the holoscopedia in front of him, images drifting through the air as it filtered into his brain.

_Sovereign Academy was founded in a time of strife as a military academy... The cadets were afraid for their lives..._ Images of barren landscapes, mines, and towering castle of black and brown stone blinked into view.

Lightning looked down at his datapad and wondered if he'd forgotten anything.

_The Outriders of Dawn was founded by a band of children from Sovereign Academy's Chess Battalion in the EGC year of 3003, GSS Year of 1317..._

Lightning skipped that.

_Bands of Outriders have escaped Sovereign Academy since January 3010 EGC and are scattered throughout the Sol System..._

_Guruhi is approaching the Sol System._

Lightning stared at that piece of information, then flapped a hand at the holoscopedia, sending all the files descending into the device. With a gesture of his hand and a twist as if unzipping something, he brought back the opening screen.

_To Garth and Adeola,_

_I hope that this disk finds you both in good health and that by the time you read this your victory over Neo Kobra will be secured. However, you both know that these Snakes are hardly the last of your worries. On this disk you will find information on the Sovereign Syndicate and the Outriders' efforts since your departure._

_Just in case you are to face them again._

_Li_ghtning leaned back in his seat and groaned. This was why things should not be skipped. He frowned to himself and drummed his fingers on the table.

Okay, according to the holoscopedia, the Outriders have been doing pretty well in their efforts against Sovereign ever since mine and Adi's escape in 3005. It was still giving them hope and now more and more people were successfully evading Sovereign patrols.

The War is coming.

It was hiding under his nose all along, but he had refused to acknowledge it.

_Idiot. Clean up your mess._

Lightning let out a breath and stood, shutting off the holoscopedia and stowing it away in a hidden, bioelectrically-sealed compartment of his desk.

_Mekt first – they'll go after Mekt, use him as a pawn._

Lightning remembered his chess-piece – the King Knight, still hidden away in his room – and sighed before pushing his Sovereign Solider days out of his mind.

_Then, I'll come back and tell the others about Sovereign._

Closing his eyes, Lightning took several more deep breaths as lightning crackled over his skin. Then, slowly, he opened them again and went to a closet. He pulled out two waistpacks, checking the supply of metal rods inside them.

Dream Girl knows everything, he thought wryly.

"You'll need these," she had said after the Neo Kobra Incident. "I don't know what for yet. But it will be... explosive. And you'll need these."

"Okay, Sovereign," he said, strapping the waistpacks on. "You started the war." He got his long cloak, hiding his Legion Tattoo. "You keep getting back up." He activated his holoavatar. "So we'll just have to put you down for good."

* * *

**~Canyon City, Mars; 13:18 MCOT~**

(February 27th, 02:43 EST)

Song: Cursum Perficio – Enya

* * *

What had he gotten into?

Mekt stared down at the holographic display depicting the facility that Queen Aries (as she had ordered him to call her) wanted him to break into. His meeting with the Sovereign Syndicate had been nerve-racking and fraught with tension. General Arn openly scorned him, Anbar looked psychotic and completely cracked, and the Assassins alone gave him the creeps, never mind the Kobrans.

Would these people really lead him to his sister like they said?

And Queen Aries – she seemed too sugary sweet. She sympathized, sat him down, listened to his troubles – and Mekt talked. Everything came spilling out – everything. His secrets, his woes, his worries, troubles with his family, his remaining sibling, his guilt about Ayla...

_Why did I tell her anything?!_ Mekt groaned and pressed his hand into his silver hair. It was as if he'd had no control over his tongue. None at all.

He glanced at the blueprints again, groaned, and wandered to the kitchen (cave). His place on Mars was not too unlike his family's underground shelter on Winath, which they retreated to whenever there was a bad storm. (Winathians couldn't bear to live solely underground, so they had both surface and below-ground homes.) This home was a small series of caves, brought for a cheap sum after much saving and haggling with the previous owner. He was lucky that his new employers didn't know where he lived; that was one thing Queen Aries hadn't insisted on.

Mekt sighed and retrieved an apple from the fridge, slicing it in half with a stream of lightning; the apple's insides burned a bit.

A loud clang of metal echoed from the main room; Mekt jumped and lighted up his fists with lightning, dropping the apple. The demanding knock came again and again as Mekt slipped through the tunnels to the entry cave, a hundred different thoughts running through his head.

Not even delivery people came back here. Had Sovereign tracked him after all? He didn't have a security system of any grade – just his lightning.

"Open up!"

Mekt froze. He'd never forget that voice. "Garth?" he said incredulously. What was he doing here?

"Who else?" Lightning asked. "Open up – we need to talk."

"No, we don't." Mekt turned to leave – but then there was a crackle as the door slid open. An orb of lightning tore free of Mekt's hand the red-haired man standing in the doorway held up a palm to catch it.  
Mekt stared in shock as the hair rose off his visitor's skull. Lightning slashed down an invisible scar, carving into a shape of a lightning bolt and filling his eye as more electricity streamed down his arm, slowly growing smaller and smaller, until it faded. The holoavatar crackled away, revealing a tall teenaged boy – nearly a man – with light copper skin and familiar ginger hair tied back in a long low ponytail.

"Garth," Mekt snarled. "Get out!"

"Try and make me."

Mekt's eyes narrowed as he shot several jolts of lightning; his brother dodged out of the doorway. Mekt charged forward, slamming Lightning into the closed door as lightning rose around the two brothers.

His younger brother suddenly headbutted him then kneed him in the stomach. Mekt gasped for breath, giving the younger Winathian time to shoot forward to kick him over and pin him down under his foot, applying pressure.

"I'm not here to hurt you Mekt – or to fight," Lightning growled.

Mekt smiled without humor or joy. "Lemme guess; you're here to arrest me?"

"No," Lightning replied curtly, pulling his foot away. "You wanna find Ayla, don't you?"

Mekt froze as Lightning offered him a hand up. He took it and Lightning pulled him to his feet.

"You come to me about this now?" Mekt snapped. "Why not three or five years ago?!"

Lightning sighed, closing the door behind him. "It's a long story, Mekt."

Mekt crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

Lightning sighed and wandered to the back, to the kitchen. Mekt followed as Lightning sat down, uninvited.

"It's complicated," Lightning said as Mekt sat down at the kitchen chair across from him.

Mekt stared. Lightning sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Did Sovereign offer you a job?" he asked.

"Yes." Mekt misinterpreted Lightning's scowl. "You have no right to judge me! You claim you love her so much, yet you haven't been looking for her – your own twin!"

The wounds of their past encounters still ran deep. When the twins were lost, Mekt had briefly returned home before leaving Winath a year later – he'd looked and looked and looked and then, years later, he found out Garth was in New Metropolis. Mekt thought everything was resolved then; he knew, he just knew Ayla would be there too...but she wasn't. And now, there was a chance, a narrow chance to find her and bring her home – and Mekt wasn't going to let that go, no matter the cost.

"I've been waiting," Lightning said.

Mekt stared disbelievingly at him. "Waiting for what, exactly?"

Lightning leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Look, Mekt, I know we haven't been on the best of terms. But you want answers about Ayla and everything that happened, and you deserve to know. I haven't even told the Legion yet."

"You haven't told them about Sovereign? In the name of Nath, why not? Those people are insane! I know that, even though you're being so secretive about it."

"I was being stupid, okay?! I thought if I ignored it, this...old mentor of mine would take care of it, let me live my life." Lightning pinched the bridge of his nose and bowed his head. "But I was stupid. I forgot my training."

There was a long silence before Lightning felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Garth." Mekt whispered. "I should have...I should have been there."

To find Ayla, was it worth it to set aside years of bitterness in order to act like a proper family and go find their missing piece?

"Forget it." Lightning lifted his head. "If you wanna get Ayla back, you're gonna have to listen to me very carefully."

"But Sovereign's already hired me..."

Lightning leaned back in his chair and let a dangerous smile cross his face as his eyes sparked with electricity and lightning traced down his scar. Mekt shuddered inwardly.

Yes. Yes, it was worth it. Trusting his own brother was safer and more assuring than trusting people like Sovereign. Even if said brother did look mildly psychotic at the moment.

"I don't think I can be a double agent. There has –"

"She's my twin, Mekt," Lightning hissed. "This isn't just about Ayla; it's about everything, everyone. If there was a less complicated way to do this, I'd take it."

Mekt sighed. "What about...what about Mom? And Dad?"

Lightning was silent. "I've been calling them."

"But you haven't told them everything."

"I told them about the years when Ayla and I weren't with them. But not a lot. I don't – I don't want them in danger. I told them what they needed to know, but I don't want to tell them about Ayla and get their hopes up if...I want to be sure I'm right about this."

Mekt frowned. "Right about what?"

Lightning sighed. "I know where Ayla is," he admitted.

"What?!" Mekt jumped to his feet and stared at his brother. "You know? Then why the hell haven't you gone to get her yet?!"

"Because she's on Guruhi."

At this, Mekt's expression turned aghast. "Guruhi?" he repeated. "You mean she's still with Sovereign? I thought you escaped. You didn't take her with you?"

"Believe me, I would have – but she...I mean, I didn't know...it's hard to explain," Lightning fumbled.

"Try me."

"Look, I escaped with Gaia, it's true...Gaia's my oath-sister," Lightning added as Mekt opened his mouth. "She was Ayla's best friend back in Sovereign Academy, so by default I had to be her brother too. Ayla was supposed to come with us, but on the night we were supposed to get out, she vanished. I mean, we couldn't find her anywhere, and then years later after we met up again, Gaia told me she didn't want to be found. Ayla stayed behind to lead the rebellion. Gaia was supposed to tell me as soon as we were safe, but we got separated during the escape and she never got the chance...until a few weeks ago."

Mekt studied his younger brother carefully. Garth had not been an easy opponent to fight when they had first reunited; he had been more experienced with his powers that Mekt had expected – faster, cleverer, more brutal. At the Interplanetary Games, Lightning had been even more advanced. And now...

"You've grown up too fast, little brother."

Lightning smiled – a sarcastic, unhappy smile. "I wish I hadn't."

"Me too."

"Well, we might as well put that regret to go use, hadn't we? Now, what does Queen Aries want you to do?"

"She's a telepath! She'll know what we're –"

Lightning shoved a simple silver band into Mekt's face.

"Plain telepathic ring," he explained at Mekt's raised eyebrow. "Right now, it just gives you a telepathic link to me, but no telepath can get into your head unless you open up. It won't be too suspicious – it's a subtle barrier. You already have a natural barrier, but against someone of Eve's level, it's weak. This is just giving it a boost."

"Wait, how –"

"Chief Armorer of the Legion," Lightning informed him. "It has its perks. Now stop being a worry wart. There's no life without some risk. You may have been given life, but you have to earn it too."

"You did not come with that on your own." Mekt slipped the ring onto his index finger.

"Gaia's always full of wise little sayings. It motivates me. Now, stop trying to change the subject and tell me what Eve wants you to do."

Mekt gave him a look; then stood, leading him into a smaller side cave where he walked to the set up computer monitor and entered the password to activate the holoscopedia Queen Aries had given him. Immediately several screens popped up, including a diagram of a vast facility.

"She wants me to break into this facility," Mekt explained. "There's something she needs – pennitate."

"An explosive?" Lightning raised an eyebrow and studied the diagram. "This place is heavily fortified. How can you even break in?"

"I was asking myself that question."

Lightning narrowed his eyes. "Eve doesn't need pennitate. She hates explosions. But she probably needs it because of one her minions needs it – probably a scientist. Or more likely someone on the combative side of the operation. Which means she could be launching an assault..."

"How do you know all this?"

"...or she could not need it at all and simply be using you as bait," Lightning finished.

"Bait?" Mekt questioned.

"But that doesn't make sense because not many people know we're related, and this facility is here on Mars...on the other hand, she probably knows we weren't on good terms..." Lightning seemed to be talking entirely to himself.

"We're still not on good terms."

Lightning ignored him. "When we were in Sovereign, Ayla and I were in the Chess Army – one of five armies that Sovereign arranges their cadets into. Crown is for those who – and I quote – 'can manipulate the physical environment without the elements or affect and control the mental environment of their subjects'. Scepter was for the mystics and scientists; Noble for the elementals; Sword for those without metabilities or with physical gifts such as super strength. Chess was a mix of all those – the best of the best. We were trained to be leaders, soldiers – the ones with the utmost loyalty to Sovereign and the intellect to bring the others to heel."

"But obviously, that backfired," Mekt pointed out, a slow grin stealing across his face. Lightning nodded.

"We met Nisah," he said. "A Dhavmere they captured – but she escaped with her sister – Cagn – and chose to stay to attempt to free the people there."

"What's a Dhavmere?"

Lightning grinned. "You'll find out soon enough." He continued, "Nisah just solidified what we were already beginning to question – Sovereign's ideals – so we made a plan..."

"To rebel and overthrow them."

"Right. But it wasn't going to happen in a single day. The first step was getting the people to believe that freedom was possible. And that meant someone was going to have to escape successfully."

"So you and Gaia did it."

"Yeah." Here Lightning paused, recalling old memories. "There were five of us originally – four after Ayla backed out – but in the end only Gaia and I made it. Tsunami and Obsidian sacrificed themselves to keep Sovereign from coming after us." His voice was heavy with sadness.

Mekt jerked out of his daze, staring at his brother – seventeen now, an NGO suprasolider, a superhero – stressed and burnt out, leaning back in his chair like he hadn't a care in the world – but he did. Mekt felt a lump in his throat. If he had protected them like he was supposed to all those years ago – if they had never gone on that joyride that sent them to a hellish nightmare – maybe they'd all be on Winath, participating in the harvest festivals, worrying about the storms...maybe Garth would be the mechanic or something.

But Sovereign would still exist. And you'd never know and maybe they'd still have his friend. Maybe the Legion would have never existed. Maybe Brande would have died.

Mekt couldn't move – how could he start being a good older brother now, after so many years? But he couldn't just stand there. When was the last time Garth had actually trusted him and hadn't looked at him with hate in his eyes?

"I thought I could run away," Lightning was saying. "Be a Legionnaire, make up for the stuff Sovereign made me do. Put these...put my abilities to good use...not killing people like they wanted."

Mekt blinked. "Did you –"

"Never," Lightning assured him. "Having a twin helped. Having friends helped, remembering Winath helped. I never killed anyone – that much I can say. But...I hurt them, Mekt. Sometimes beyond help." He swallowed thickly. "But...I tried to forget and Anbar found me. He came after me and when I knew he was coming...I ran. As usual. I couldn't let – I couldn't let the Legion suffer because of my mistakes. I had to run away, draw him away from them...and I nearly died."

Mekt shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to comfort his distraught brother anymore. As a kid, the oldest, it had come easy. He'd always wished he had a twin so it would have been easier to take care of their younger siblings. But no, he had been jealous. They'd never been teased by other kids simply because of the way they'd be born. He'd tried to shove it aside...

"I had nightmares again. I couldn't remember what had happened. But I knew the nightmares were coming back. So...I had to remember. And then I tried to forget about it again. Bury it. Count on Cagn to take care of Anbar and let me live a normal life...and then Gaia came back."

"And she ruined everything?" Mekt guessed quietly.

"No, she woke me up. When she showed up, a Sovereign Hunter attacked her – but only because he got lucky. He was actually after me. Gaia had vanished off the radar, like a ghost, years ago. No one could find her or track her down. Everyone thought she'd been dead since she was seven years old, Diswi be my witness. And all I've done is be a liability to everyone, putting everyone in danger by being stupid and blind. By existing."

"You are not a liability!" Mekt burst out, grabbing Garth's shoulders. "I am. If what you say is true and Ayla stayed behind to help those people, taking this job to save her was wrong! It's throwing all her work away! You two have been through hell and back and you went back to that hell and you're helping people and I'm being a lazy, good-for-nothing bastard, selfish and –"

Lightning blinked at him and started to chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?"

Lightning pushed Mekt back slightly, standing up.

"Aren't we a pair of sob stories?" He looked at the holographic diagram. "We were stupid. We were kids – probably still are – and we made mistakes. But it's always survival of the fittest, the smartest, and the fastest, no matter where you come from. You survived, Mekt. I did, Ayla did – and we'll find her or she'll find us. Trust me."

"You haven't been together in years," Mekt pointed out.

"Ayla's stronger than she was when you last saw her," Lightning said grimly. "Relax."

"But you were just –"

"Moping." Lightning waved a hand dismissively. "The mess has been made, so now we have to clean it up. No use crying over what's happened – we just have to fix it." He took several deep breaths. "We need to fix our mistakes. We have to trust each other. Now, what else did Eve tell you to steal?"

Mekt brought up a catalog of items with a wave of his hand. "A few things." He brought one image further into focus. "A metability inhibition gun. Invented by and confiscated from Grimbor. Temporarily scrambles the chemical composition of one's metabilities. And this one is confusing to me..." He brought up another image: a set of three metal rings connected to a slim rod that ran through the center. "...a Psi-Jammer. Why would she want this?"

"To disrupt the psychic powers of any Legionnaire who has them," Lightning muttered.

"Saturn Girl," Mekt realized.

"And others." Lightning didn't elaborate, but in his head, his thoughts were running a mile a minute. Kinetix's telekinesis, Gaia's animapathy*, Brainiac 5's technopathy, Dream Girl, possibly Projectra, and Diamond...and maybe some of the Knights too. Vision, Shadowhawk, Echo Cipher... We can't let her get hold of those things. She can take out a good chunk of our tanks with those... "Mekt, you've been to their lair, right?"

"I don't think it was their lair, no." Mekt looked thoughtful. "It looked pretty rundown. But I do know a few of their operatives."

"And?" Lightning prodded.

"You've run into the Assassins, right?"

Lightning's eyebrow shot up. "You've gotta be kidding me." Mekt shook his head. "They're working for Sovereign?" Mekt nodded. "Oh, that's just perfect."

"Yeah. And they have a teleporter too – recent hiree, I think. I've heard of her – bounty hunter by the name of Monica Sade."

"I'll look into it," Lightning promised.

"What are we gonna do about this stuff?" Mekt asked, nodding at the diagram. "I mean, it's bad if she has these things, isn't it?"

"But she has a bunch of people who could easily do this job..." Lightning mused.

"A test?" Mekt guessed.

"That makes sense. It's a heavily guarded facility, so that puts your personal safety at risk. You will be implicated if caught and sent to prison. You've only served jail time once, and breaking into a facility like this will land you in Takron-Galtos."

"Fun."

"It's also testing how far you're willing to go..."

"How far am I going? If I get caught, it's over – and if anyone in Sovereign suspects anything, or if I do one thing to annoy that psycho – Anbar – he's gonna skewer me and laugh!" Mekt frowned. "I blame you for this."

Lightning chuckled darkly. "Anbar would hate you even if we weren't related. He hates everyone, just about."

Mekt glanced at the blueprints again. "But we can't let her get this..."

"We'll rig 'em." Mekt raised an eyebrow at his brother, who continued, "You'll break in, steal the gear...and we'll rig 'em so they don't do what she wants. They'll just look as if they're working right."

"You've lost it! If I bring in rigged gear –"

"Just point out that you were only told to steal them. Anything else their technicians should have checked over. And anyway, at some point your cover will be blown, so you'll have to bail then or sooner. It's just a matter of how things go down."

Mekt groaned and sank into a chair. "We're venturing into a gray area," he noted mournfully. "You just said you're letting me steal from a government facility! Did you even tell the Legion any of this?!"

Lightning chewed his lip. "Not yet...but I'm going to. Let's get started."

Mekt groaned again. "We're doomed..."

"No, we're not." Lightning snapped, eyes blazing. "I'm not letting a squad of bullies tell me what my future is. This time, we end them. Forever,"

* * *

**End Episode 4.1**


	12. Episode 4 Part 2: Strategy

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed, Written, and Produced by Mirror's Mirage  
Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm (Part 1)**

Episode 4: Lightning Descent – Part 2: Strategy

_Song: A Prayer For Humanity – Future World Music_

* * *

February 27th, 3011

_~Star Pavilion; 15:19~_

* * *

Three days after Nemesis Kid had come back to the Pavilion, he had given bits and pieces of his report – enough for Brainy to work with while he resettled. He was still getting used to waking up in a clean bed and being able to sleep for the most part without being attacked by bandits or some other such nonsense.

The closest he got to 'an attack' was Cham and Kono crashing into the lounge where he had collapsed on his first day back. Nemesis Kid was glad for his speed – even without her powers Kono could have broken his nose.

"The Galactic Ambassadorial Summit is coming to a close," Nightsun was explaining as Nemesis Kid flipped through the images and files on the Neo Kobra Conflict. "They've moved to an asteroid – New Metropolis remains the host and Mayor Andresan had gotten everything under control – so we withdrew from the Summit protection detail. Currently, our attention has been focused on the reports of disappearing children. Brainiac 5 told me you had information regarding this?"

"Yeah," Nemesis Kid replied. "Thanagar and...did you know Tamaran is having child abductions too?"

Nightsun's eyes flashed. "Yes. My mother and father informed me not long after I joined the Legion. We nearly lost my younger brother to the criminals."

"I'm glad he's safe," Nemesis Kid said – because it was polite and because he was a teammate, however unknown.

"Thank you."

"Were they captured?" Nemesis Kid asked. "The criminals?"

"Yes, but they committed suicide before they could be stopped. Perhaps a pattern between the Thanagar, Tamaran, and Earth situations can be found if we pool information."

Nemesis Kid nodded and paused, eyes flickering as he touched the green Legion tattoo on the inside of his wrist. "The team is waiting for us in Zeta-Hub."

Nightsun nodded and gestured for him to lead the way.

* * *

_~The Kitchen, Level 3; 15:27~_

* * *

The Main Kitchen of Star Pavilion were manned by a small staff of six civilian employees, assisted by helper drones and various Legionnaires who were required to pitch in when not busy saving people, the day, and/or the world (etc.) from catastrophes. Timber Wolf could come in here, ignore them, and relax while he filtered out the memories of bad dreams as the smell of food, the clattering of pots, and the hum of helper drones reached his nose and ears. Today, the Zuunian Legionnaire was reveling in the opportune location to be angry at a certain lightning wielder who hadn't even _noticed_ that he had nearly electrocuted him this morning; his fur _still_ hadn't flattened out completely.

Timber Wolf accepted a tray of spices from one of the helper drones and chuckled as an undercook swore under her breath about silly robots who took things too literally.

"Do you need it to be reprogrammed?"

The undercook shrieked; Timber Wolf whirled with a ladle raised to strike.

Brainiac 5 raised an eyebrow at him as he lifted one hand over his head to catch the empty bowl the undercook had thrown in her shock. "Are you going to kill me with that?" he asked, nodding at the batter-covered ladle as the flying bowl landed bottom first in his hand. He handed it back to the cook he had frightened.

Timber Wolf narrowed his eyes. "How _do_ you do that?" He'd barely had a five second warning before Brainy had simply popped out of nowhere.

"Do what?" he asked; but he didn't wait for an answer and turned back to the human girl. "I'll reprogram Drone 23 for you, but I need breakfast for a meeting in a couple of hours. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"And give me a list of any other repairs you need – leave them with the Mechanics Shop and Ricochet will get to it as soon as he can." The cook nodded and hurried away. Brainy turned to the other cooks. "Why are you staring? Other people have to eat around here." Hurriedly, they went back to work.

Timber Wolf, meanwhile, was wondering about something Brainy said. "What meeting, Brainy?"

"You may or may not have heard this already, but one of our Legionnaires, Nemesis Kid, has returned from an extended mission – he joined around this time last year, so you haven't met him yet. Think you could come by with any useful thoughts? You'll be going to plenty of meetings, and it's best you get a handle on things. And Nemesis Kid needs to meet you and the other new recruits."

Timber Wolf did not look too keen about meeting new people.

"You don't have to talk to him unless you want to or if it's business," Brainy promised. "But every Legionnaire needs to know their teammates – you don't have to be best friends."

Timber Wolf muttered crossly under his breath. "Fine."

"Perfect. Have you seen Lightning, by the way?"

"He nearly _electrocuted_ me this morning – besides that, no."

"Hm...and he's been spending an unusual amount of time in his office..." Brainy mused. "You may head off to Zeta-Hub. COMPUTO will tell you the way."

Before he could nod, Brainy swept out, forcing an arriving staff member to dodge around him.

Timber Wolf snorted; the hovering helper drone, Drone 31, bumped into him.

_"Pancake or bacon?"_ it asked.

* * *

~_Level 9: The Mission Hub _– _Beta Monitor Hub; 15:31~_

* * *

Chameleon Boy liked the Beta Monitor. It was mostly dark, lit only by a circle of white lights around the center of the room and the glow of holographic panels and monitors clustered around the Communications Tower. It was more like a large ring of technology set on the floor while it projected dozen of screens into the air and onto the control panels.

There were three wheel-backed chairs (chairs shaped like wheels) and one ring chair – but that one was complex and he couldn't figure it out. The wheel-backed chairs were fun, though; he could use them to sweep around in the air, looking at the monitors while they scrolled data and pictures.

"The Surveillance Com Tower taps into satellite feed," Gravity Star explained from his own chair – his voice a hoarse whisper so as not to disturb Dream Girl – "...and streams it into the screens."

Gravity Star, like Tyroc, was dark-skinned, with black hair and brown eyes. He wore a full body suit – a black top with a white starfield on it and a starburst on the right side, paired with white pants, gloves, boots, and a long ankle-length cape.

"There are five Monitor Hubs –"

"Why so many?" Cham interrupted.

"As a safety precaution, so we don't overload," Gravity Star explained. "Alpha Hub is for New Metropolis, Beta for Earth, Sigma for the Sol System...and the Omega Hub was built so Saturn Girl's and Dream Girl's telepathic and precognitive abilities can...be useful, and it can connect with Diamond's magic. Zeta Hub is, appropriately, for a galactic scale – and we have all these monitors so we don't spread out too much across the galaxy, like we did during the Summit."

Cham nodded.

"So, instead of scattering the team when we get a call from an area, we send out intel to the closest and most prepared taskforce and monitor the situation. According to Brainy, it works, like, ninety percent of the time – because there are some factors beyond our control."

Chameleon Boy nodded and drifted closer to one of the screens – it had an aerial view of Gotham, which looked at peace for the moment. The screen's image switched to a fiery zone with personal helicopters sweeping the area.

_"Situation contained," _COMPUTO informed him calmly.

"Do you think the Knights are okay?" Cham asked.

Dream Girl stirred from her waking vision and blinked slowly.

"They haven't called for days and Arctic and Gaia just...vanished." Cham kicked his feet through the air. "Nightsun's worried." _Worried is an understatement._

Gravity Star shrugged. "They stayed under the radar for years before we knew they actually _existed_. They can definitely handle themselves."

"Arctic and Gaia are fine," Dream Girl assured him. "They just...wanted to go home for a bit."

Cham frowned. "What about Lightning? He nearly fried me the other day when I tried to ask him a question! And he's been holed up in his _office, _of all places, all week."

"Lightning has his weird moments," Dream Girl explained with a smile – but it quivered. She and Gravity Star exchanged looks. "I think I'll go check on him. It's almost time for the shift change, and you have a meeting, Cham."

"Oh, right!" Cham realized. "Can I go now?"

Gravity Star nodded. "I can wait for the next shift. You two can go ahead."

Cham grinned and hopped out of his seat. "Thanks, Grav!" he said, flying out after Dream Girl.

Gravity Star turned back to the screens once the metal doors had shut behind his comrades.

_Report from Mimas – rouges have been reported in the mines. _

_Callisto –_ _the number of street brawls have risen, but they seem to be more serious than just street brawls. The street brawlers themselves appear to be vigilantes. Several child abductions have been stopped by people wearing a triple-star logo. _

Gravity Star looked at the video footage as a team of fighters expertly circled a cruiser that had crashed on the rocks. Some held back the enemy while others ushered kids to safety.

"COMPUTO, pause," he ordered. "Zoom and enlarge."

The zoom focused closely on the triple-star; a small six-pointed red star within a medium-sized six-pointed white star followed by a larger six-pointed red star, all bordered off with black lines.

_New heroes...?_

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, en route to the Founders' Chambers; 15:40~_

* * *

Dream Girl stared straight ahead, barely seeing anything as her boot steps rang on the metal flooring.

_A woman –_ _red hair, green eyes – in a fancy white-and-blue dress with a wide skirt and gold accents smiled as her eyes shone, hand extended towards Gaia, who was crumpled on the floor._

_"Gaia!" _

_A young woman –_ _who looked exactly like Lightning – wearing an orange leotard over a long blue vest with a broad white stripe in the center and lightning bolts on the blue section. She threw a bolt of lightning at the red-haired lady; but a blue shield sent it careening to the side._

_A man –_ _a young man –_ _with spiky, electrocuted black hair, inhuman neon-and-amber eyes, and sharp yellowed teeth cut in front of Lightning as he ran towards the pair. The other man swung his _blade tonfa_ in an 'X' cut, forcing Lightning to dart back or be sliced open._

_"How 'bout a three-way fight?" he offered with a razor grin. "Twin Lightning versus Anbar." _

_The woman smiled down evilly at the unconscious Gaia; but then her grin faded as a shimmering gold light began to waver around her body._

_Then her eyes snapped open –_ _eagle eyes._

_"_Nura?"

Dream Girl ran into a broad chest and stumbled; firm hands gripped her shoulders.

"Nura, are you okay?"

Dream Girl shook her head as she looked up at Karate Kid and Princess Projectra.

Projectra had her silver hair loose, as usual, and was wearing her customary long-sleeved purple crop-top with its deep V-neck, paired with her usual purple cape, pants, and boots.

The brown-haired, brown-eyed Karate Kid was also wearing his Legion uniform – a martial artist's knee-length pants trimmed with yellow on the hems, black sandals and arm-warmers, and a V-necked white shirt over a black tee.

_"_Yes, I..." Dream Girl moaned and shook her head. "I think I had a weird vision..."

"A weird vision?" Projectra repeated, voice laced with concern.

Dream Girl nodded, rubbing her head slowly.

_The young man with the neon and amber eyes was on top of a tall skyscraper, humming merrily to himself as he checked over the shoulder-launch cannon. A dark-skinned woman hovered in the back, a sneer on her face. _

_"And what do you plan to do with that?" she questioned._

_The man hoisted the cannon onto his shoulder, looking through targeting scope. _

_"Target practice."_

Dream Girl jerked out of the vision. "I need to find Lightning!" She pulled out of Karate Kid's hold and flew over their heads, shooting down the corridor.

"Dream, wait!"

* * *

~_Saturn Girl, have you found Lightning yet? My records show he left the Pavilion earlier this morning.~_

_~I've tracked him to Mars. Why would he be on Mars?~_

There was a hesitant pause from Brainiac 5. ~_Perhaps he went to visit_ _Mekt.~ _he suggested cautiously.

_~!~ _Saturn Girl's thought only conveyed surprise. ~_But they're always fighting!~_

Brainy shrugged mentally. ~_He asked me to keep track of Mekt...make sure he doesn't get into trouble.~_

_~Lightning asks you to do a lot of people-tracking.~_ Saturn Girl observed, suspiciously. ~_First Gaia, and now Mekt.~_

_~They are his family.~_ Brainy rationalized. ~_Now, I need to go join the briefing in Zeta Hub.~_

* * *

"In December, Lightning informed us that a group called Sovereign may attempt to use the Neo Kobra Conspiracy as a smokescreen for their own operations," Triplicate Girl reported, presiding over the briefing.

Kono, Chemical King, Nemesis Kid, Nightsun, Chameleon Boy, and Backlash were sitting in hoverchairs around the Surveillance Tower, sipping hot cocoa. Ricochet pulled up several holographic screens as the doors slid open and Timber Wolf slunk into the room, trying to make himself invisible. Phantom Girl smiled at him and waited until he had sat down in the last free chair before beginning to speak.

"At the time, we were still dealing with Neo Kobra, and attempting to cope with two major things at the same time would have been disastrous. Instead, we called the Subs and the Auxiliary Legion, as well as a few smaller hero groups to help us. The Knights have had Black Eternity and Voidfire call their fellow Dhavmere, and they've been actively seeking out these operations and rescuing children. However, although many rescue operations by our allies have been successful, they have been unable to find the source of the problem. Every time they put down one operation, ten more spring up elsewhere. It's like fighting a hydra," Phantom Girl finished.

Kono raised her hand. "What's a hydra?"

"A mythical beast with ten heads – every time you cut one off, two more would grow in its place," Backlash responded. "It's an old Earth myth."

"Whoa. How do you beat something like that?"

"You burn the neck," Backlash explained.

"And that's what we'll have to do," Ricochet said grimly.

"So, Nemesis Kid. Why don't you share your experiences with our newcomers?" Triplicate Girl interjected. "What did you find out while you were wandering the galaxy?"

Nemesis Kid sipped his hot chocolate and sighed. "That some parts of this dimension are nice; I missed New Metropolis because it was clean and friendly; and I have conflicting opinions about the Science-Police. Some are biased and some aren't. Plenty of criminals are cowards; others are just annoying, others too smart for their own good – and others give information to anyone who listens and they don't even care that they can sell that information. Others sell information. Some gossip. And I missed everything exciting." He sighed; Phantom Girl chuckled.

"Don't worry – I have a feeling we'll be getting plenty of excitement."

Some of the rookies looked confused; Nightsun looked interested. "I think we'd like to hear more about the information," the Tamaranean noble said.

"Well, when I joined up we were preparing for security measures for the Galactic Ambassadorial Summit," said Nemesis Kid. "Now I hear that it's been moved to an Earth-orbiting asteroid and that we're no longer responsible for the protection detail."

"Indeed. New Metropolis is still the host, but it will be ending very soon." Brainy said, entered the room abruptly, acting as if he knew what was going on – and he probably did. "Your information?"

Nemesis Kid sighed. "Thanagar has leaks, traitors, problems. Their children are going missing – entire school cruisers even – and now every one of them is either restricted to the homeworld or need a guard of military personnel. Tamaran's the same. Someone _tried _to attack the Talok system – but that didn't go well for the villains. Chuku was targeted – same result. Naltor saw them coming, and Glacheroma took the liberty of freezing them all; but the ships self-destructed. And no one knows who they are or if they're even the same people. Sauramundo's becoming more involved with NWU politics, and there hasn't been any Neo Kobra sightings for a while."

"Thanagar's and Tamaran's children are going missing?" Brainy repeated.

"Before, during, and after the summit," Nemesis Kid confirmed. "Sounds like it's been building for a while – and then suddenly there was an explosion during the height of the trouble here, and they blamed each other – and now it's barely there. Tamaran and Thanagar are talking a lot about it."

"Rationally?"

"If there's one thing those planets both _won't_ do, it's send unwilling children into battle," Phantom Girl interjected.

"What's going on?" Triplicate Girl wondered. "Why are they stealing children?"

Timber Wolf growled. "That's what _I'd_ like to know."

"Well, according to Saturn Girl's notes, Lightning said their memories get wiped and they're trained to be soldiers," Ricochet answered, pointing at the screen.

"They're building an army." Phantom Girl looked thoughtful. "But why with kids? For what, for whom, and why?"

* * *

_December 3005 (EGC)_

_~A Carnival on Mada~_

* * *

Madame Mysterious looked at her clock and then back at the entrance of the tent. Today, the lightning-wielder would visit; she wished he would hurry up and get here. But she knew he wouldn't. It was times like these when she wished she was postcognitive too – that way she would know why this boy – this lightning-wielder – was coming to see her.

She sighed, waited a few minutes more, and looked at the clock again.

The tent flap rustled; she looked up out of her hood as a boy stepped through – the same boy from her vision. He was her age, with ginger hair, fair skin, and neon-blue eyes that lacked the familiar black pupil. There was a lightning scar across his right eye.

Madame Mysterious gestured to the seat in front of her. "I've been waiting for you."

The boy sat down, appearing to ignore her. "Good. I need to ask you a couple of questions."

"Where will your parents be, and is your sister safe." Madame Mysterious nodded. "I know."

The lightning-wielder smiled. "You_ are_ legit."

* * *

February 27th, 3011

_~The Founders' Chambers, Lounge; 15:49~_

_Song: Struggle For Pleasure – Wim Mertens_

* * *

Saturn Girl frowned as Brainy abruptly closed the mind-link, and turned to Cosmic Wave.

The 2nd Deputy looked ready to go at a moment's notice, fully dressed in his uniform with his Legion flight and biomorph rings, combat boots, black pants, and dark blue shirt. His jacket was draped neatly over the couch, revealing the blue 'T' that formed across the shoulders and down the center of the jacket with rectangles of black flanking the blue bar. Three metal disks were embedded on each side of the shoulders, in a shallow V-shape.

"Well? What did Brainy have to say?" Cosmic Wave asked, looking up from his copy of the newsboards.

"He thinks Lightning went to Mars to visit Mekt."

Cosmic Wave's brow furrowed. "But I thought –"

"I know," Saturn Girl agreed. "So did I. Apparently, Lightning asked Brainy to keep track of him."

Cosmic Wave leaned back and frowned at the ceiling, raising his hand. "So let's review." He counted off on his fingers. "Item one: when we first met Garth, he said he had come to 'find people he knew'. Item two: he said he hadn't lived on Winath for four years, he wasn't born with his powers, and he was trained at some school that he didn't say the name of. Item three: he said he knew Dream Girl _before_she joined the Legion but neither gave specifics..."

"I don't think that's very relevant," Saturn Girl countered.

"It could be. Item..." He paused, trying to find his place.

"Four," Saturn Girl supplied.

"Item four: not long after we formed the Legion, Lightning up and disappeared for a solid _week_ – then came back, nearly _dead_and bleeding all over the place..."

Saturn Girl shuddered, trying to block out that horrible image in their first year: a younger Lightning unconscious in the front hall of the Pavilion; a pool of blood forming around him; a trail of blood that traced from outside but appeared out of nowhere; the dark shadow that had fled when Saturn Girl attacked it with a psi-blast...

"Item five," Cosmic Wave continued, unaware of his fellow Founder's trip down memory lane, "Mekt showed up a few months later; they fought. Something about a sister – and Lightning refused to talk about it. Item Six: we meet Gaia, whom he calls his oath-sister – and he was so _overjoyed _to see her – but we'd never even _heard_ of her before she showed up during the Central Embassy Battle." Cosmic Wave sighed. "I think Lightning is hiding something. Something very..._big_."

_And then there are those memories_. Saturn Girl instantly felt guilty for having peeked at Lightning's memories. The anti-telepathy spell Diamond had woven into the tattoos worked, for the most part, but occasionally strong memories from people she was close to – especially when she was in close proximity to them – came through anyway, and it was difficult to block them.

Saturn Girl sighed. "I don't think we have any right to pry."

Cosmic Wave blew out in frustration and raked his bare fingers through dark hair. "I know Lightning keeps to himself...but I feel like he's..." Cos chewed his lip. "...withdrawing more and more."

Saturn Girl nodded in agreement. "Gaia knows him better than we do."

"_That's_ what I don't get," Cosmic Wave said. "They say they went to school together – but we've _met_ Garth's parents. They couldn't afford to send him to an off-world boarding school – but that's where he would have to be to meet Gaia, because their homeworlds are nowhere _near_each other!" Cosmic Wave stood up and paced; Saturn Girl opted for stealing his seat.

"Lightning _has _become more mature – still a hothead, but more mature. Otherwise, I'd never accept his being leader – don't shake your head, it's true! But Gaia...just raises a lot of questions. About herself, about them both...What's her name again?"

"Charlotte," Saturn Girl replied.

"But Lightning _never_ calls her Charlotte," Cos pointed out. "You'd think he would. Sometimes he says 'Ad-Gaia' – but never Charl-Gaia or something."

Saturn Girl had also wondered about this. "Well...she _said_ it was Charlotte."

"How do we know she wasn't lying?"

_She _could_ have been lying. It's entirely possible, even if I couldn't sense it. _"Cos, she's a Knight," Saturn Girl reminded him. "They're bound to be naturally superstitious – especially since we already know the real names of Arctic, Red X, and Shadowhawk. They like their secrets."

"But if this allegiance is going to work there needs to be trust!"

"They like to be prepared for anything and everything, remember? I promise you, Cos, as long as we're all on the same side, they will be our best allies. Even Gaia, no matter what her name is."

"And why can't you just read their minds?" he wanted to know.

"You just said it yourself, Rokk. There needs to be _trust_." Saturn Girl's eyes shone briefly and she frowned. "Rokk, Nura is about to run into our door and I don't know why."

* * *

_I couldn't tell him about his sister then...but now I – _Dream Girl ran into someone for the second time that day, and this time crashed to the floor on top of them.

"Sorry," she said hastily, pulling herself up.

Cosmic Wave groaned and looked up at her with a sleepy grin. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Sorry," she apologized again, floating up and pulling him to his feet. "I was...in a rush."

"I can see that. Is there something wrong? You were about run into the door."

Dream Girl blinked. "I need to talk to Lightning. It's very important."

Cos shook his head. "Lightning slipped out awhile ago; he went to Mars." Dream Girl's face fell visibly and her shoulders slumped. Cos asked, "Nura, what's so important?"

"I had a vision...about him and Gaia and some people I don't recognize. And his sister. I need to tell him about his sister."

* * *

_End Episode 4.2_


	13. Episode 4 Part 3: Power Surge

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)

_Developed, Written, and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_

_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 4: Lightning Descent – Part 3: Power Surge

_Song: Twilight – Future World Music_

* * *

February 27th, 3011

_~Mars; 23:52 MCOT~_

_(13:35 EST)_

* * *

Night was already falling on the strange red planet, shadows sliding along the great red cliffs. The lanterns lit up of their own accord, providing light for the travelers walking along the various levels of paths. Along the center of the passage called Canyon Run was a mild stream of vechs. The city of Canyon Run held shops and homes within the side passages and walls; there were countless paths along the walls and bridges across the canyons with hovering signs for vechs to watch where they were flying.

"Seems like your kind of place," Garth observed, keeping pace with Mekt as he lead the way through the crowded walkways.

Garth had reactivated his holoavatar and was disguised as a human with dark wine-red hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes – and Mekt had replaced his coat with a dark cloak.

"_So_ glad you approve," the older boy drawled sarcastically. He made his way to a bridge to cross to the other side of the canyon, but Garth paused.

Mekt turned when he noticed Garth wasn't with him anymore. "Hey..." He paused, uncertain whether to call him Lightning or Garth or Gavin – but by the time he attempted to finish his thought Garth had already caught up to him and dragged him into the crowds.

"What's –"

"Shush," Garth hissed as he vanished into the crowd. For a moment Mekt lost sight of him – and then he heard his voice coming from his omnicom._ "We're being followed. Where's the nearest transport depot?"_

Mekt pulled the hood of his cloak more securely over his head, glancing up briefly. "What about me? I'm not leaving anytime soon."

_"Yes, you are. You have to come to Earth with me."_

"What?! But that'll ruin the whole double agent thing!"

_"Get a disguise. And don't use your lightning. We need to lose them. Don't you know these mazes?"_

"Like the back of my hand." It was what came from too much time on his hands and a need to stay hidden.

_"Lead the way, Mekt."_

Mekt ducked on ahead, waving to Garth as he found the canyon road he wanted to take. The two unlikely allies – brothers – disappeared into the gathering darkness of the Martian twilight.

* * *

Monica Sade, from her position on the canyon walls, frowned as the bioelectric signatures vanished from her Energy Reader. She held it up higher, hoping to pick them up again.

"I don't think that's going to work," said Leviathan.

"How did they vanish so quickly?" Sade wondered.

"They've both been hiding for quite some time – they must have learned how to reduce their bioelectricity levels to that of normal people," Leviathan reasoned. He sighed. "Anbar will not be pleased."

Sade scowled. "Oh, who cares? And why are we taking orders from him, anyway?" '_Queen Kobra doesn't even _like_ that boy, and he's not Kobran – so why am I helping _him?'

"Because he needs to be monitored," Leviathan explained. "We should find him before he does anything rash."

Sade glanced around and activated the bioelectricity monitor again. "Where _is_ that psycho anyway...?"

* * *

March 2nd, 3011

_~Star Pavilion; 16:05~_

* * *

Three days had passed. Three. Whole. Days. And Lightning still wasn't back. All they'd gotten was a single message:

_"Sorry I just disappeared, but I needed to take care of something with my brother. Still in the system; on personal mission. Maintain radio silence."_

"I'm worried." Saturn Girl sat on one of the lab's floating chairs and looked at Brainiac 5, who was sitting in his blue pod chair and typing furiously, eyes flicking across the screen. "He's not usually gone for this long. Not since..." She hesitated. "...that time."

Brainy paused his typing and waved away the holographic screen, looking thoughtful as he remembered. When they had first begun the team, Lightning had disappeared for a whole week without a trace. Saturn Girl struggled to get a read on him, but he always slipped away from her mind. And then he'd turned up a week later in the main hall, covered in slashes, bleeding, his clothes soaked in red, and barely clinging to life.

Brainy remembered it well – he had been the one to patch Lightning up. It was a month before he fully recovered, and even then he refused to speak of what had happened during that week, forcefully repressing the memory and instead spending extra time in the Arborium or in the Sim Chamber, training and tiring himself out, blowing up drones and things.

They had worried about him not talking about it; they thought it would come back. But it hadn't. He was okay. Or so it seemed.

"I thought you declared Lightning mentally stable," Brainy said slowly. "Even Madame Sigmund confirmed it. It was a miracle – no screams, no serious long-term disorders. He had nightmares, to be sure – but he definitely remembered what happened. There was no post-traumatic stress."

"He is stable. He still has nightmares occasionally, but those are natural. Nothing serious."

"But he still keeps secrets."

"You do too, Brainy," Saturn Girl reminded him, and Brainy narrowed his eyes. "We all have our secrets. The oath doesn't say to share your secrets. It just says we'll protect them."

"That is true," Brainy admitted, turning his chair back to his work. "Dream Girl's visions are also...interesting. They've never been so unclear..."

"When Lightning comes back, maybe he can shed some light on it," Saturn Girl suggested. Brainy nodded. "When do you think Lightning will come back?"

"When he's ready. And not before."

* * *

_~Apartment B, Star Pavilion; 16:58~_

* * *

Dream Girl pressed her fingers to her head and moaned as the images flashed in her mind, barely allowing her to glimpse them before they were swept away again.

_'I need to see the future!'_ Slowly, she forced herself to calm down, taking deep meditative breaths, closing her eyes.

_Lightning stood on the edge of Hell's Gate Island's New Metropolis Stardrome, staring out over the city as he ignored the whispers of the populace behind him. His brow was furrowed, indicating that he was deep in thought._

_But his peace was disturbed – the sound of a Zeta Gate(1) opening reached his ears, causing Lightning to look up in confusion – Zeta Gates only opened in the terminals. Lightning looked upwards in confusion, shock rippling across his face as something whistled through the air and an explosion of lightning suddenly ripped through the cruiser's rear engine, sending metal and flame spewing into the sky._

Dream Girl shifted the vision, trying to see where the attack had come from.

_The young man with neon and amber eyes was on top of a tall skyscraper, humming merrily to himself as he checked over the shoulder-launch cannon. A dark-skinned woman hovered in the back, a sneer on her face. _

_"And what do you plan to do with that?"_

_The man hoisted the cannon on his shoulder, looking through targeting scope._

_"Target practice."_

With a press of the trigger, a metal and crystal sphere erupted into being. It whistled through the air as it collided with an incoming cruiser with a thunderous boom and an eye-burning flash of lightning.

Dream Girl shifted the vision again, looking for a clock, anywhere – and she finally found one on the Stardrome.

_March 2nd, 3011; 17:13_

Dream Girl snapped out of her vision. "COMPUTO, clock!"

_17:00_

"Thirteen minutes!"

Thirteen minutes until disaster – perhaps the amber color of the lightning would prevent people from immediately assuming it was Lightning; but he was the only lightning-wielder most people knew of – their thoughts _would_ immediately jump to him.

_'This is bad.'_

Dream Girl sprang up and shot out of her room, startling her sister and Saturn Girl, who were relaxing in their apartment's lounge area.

"Nura, what's wrong?" Diamond asked, standing, a half-finished weaving of a spell-circle in her hand.

"Lightning-wielder sniper attack on the Hell's Gate Stardrome," Dream Girl informed them. "Thirteen minutes. We have to find the sniper – or Lightning will take the blame!"

Saturn Girl swept away her bead project, scattering the small round objects onto the carpet. "No, he won't."

Dream Girl projected her dream to Saturn Girl, allowing the telepath to analyze the situation for herself.

_'Brainy, Trips, Wolf, Dawn, Cos, Kiki, XS, Phantom, Nightsun, Backlash, Umbra. Mission, Hell's Gate Stardrome, now.'_ Saturn Girl ordered. "Let's go, Nura."

* * *

_~Tealboro Precinct; 17:05~_

_Song: Fury Unleashed – Immediate Music_

* * *

Shvaughn Erin wheeled the hoverpod around, making the rookie yelp in shock as the pod landed neatly on the rooftop parking lot of the Tealboro Precinct. Casually taking off her helmet, Shvaughn shook out her red hair and smiled in satisfaction as the rookie pressed the hatch button and scrambled out.

"Noobs," she muttered to herself.

There was a startled yelp from outside.

"Captain Erin?"

Shvaughn raised an eyebrow and climbed out of her seat, going around the front of the pod. "What –" She stopped.

The Legionnaires Dream Girl and Saturn Girl were floating over the rookie, who looked half-amazed and half-confused.

"A cruiser is going to come through a Zeta Gate in open air in about ten minutes or so – and a criminal lightning-wielder with amber lightning is going to shoot it down," Dream Girl explained. "We need the Science Police to be ready to defend that cruiser and to tell the people in the Stardrome to stay calm."

Shvaughn narrowed her eyes, but shoved her personal opinions aside. "Right away." The instant she turned on her omnicom(2), the two Legionnaires took off again. Shvaughn didn't bother to watch them go.

"Chief, we have an emergency."

* * *

_~17:09~_

* * *

Mekt had objected to going to Earth, and Lightning didn't feel comfortable leaving Mekt to handle Sovereign by himself, but he had no choice. He just hoped the plan worked.

He dropped his holoavatar and pushed back the hood of his cloak as he wove through the crowds of the Stardrome, ignoring the stares and whispers as he made his way to the outer balconies.

* * *

_~17:10~_

* * *

_'Three minutes remaining.'_ Brainiac 5 announced.

Nightsun flew with Backlash and Umbra over the city, as they returned from patrol on New Troy.

"I don't see any snipers," Backlash commented. "How 'bout you two?"

"No." Nightsun's brow furrowed. "Is Dream Girl ever wrong?"

"Never," Umbra said firmly.

Nightsun sighed. _'Timber Wolf, can you sniff out the lightning?'_

There was an annoyed growl._ 'He keeps teleporting, I can't isolate the sprocker's scent!'_ Timber Wolf paused on a rooftop to get his bearings again as Phantom Girl swept the city skyline with her eyes, a frown on her face.

_'The Science Police are clearing the area around the potential crash site.'_ Dream Girl announced.

_'How are we supposed to find him like this?!'_

_'Two minutes, fifteen seconds.'_ Brainiac 5 proclaimed, cutting through Triplicate Girl's cry of frustration, his mental voice tense. _'We've checked the area. We do not see the lightning-wielder from Dream Girl's vision.'_

_'Did you check the building he's on?'_ Dawnstar asked.

_'Of course. He must not be there yet.'_

_'This is really bad.'_ Dream Girl said. _'Really, really bad.'_

_'Dreamer, will you knock it off please? It's _not_ helping!' _an unusually nervous sounding Backlash cut in

_'I'm sorry, but how are we supposed to _find_ him if we don't know where to look!?'_ Dream Girl snapped,

_'I don't know but it's better if we don't go all doom and gloom _until_ we understand the situation better!_ Then _we can panic!_'

_'One minute.'_

_'Oh for Pete's sake...' _an exasperated Backlash began,

_'Stop counting!'_ XS shouted at Brainy.

_'Quiet! All of you!'_ Saturn Girl directed. _'Has anyone contacted Lightning?'_

_'I kind of assumed he was still on Mars...'_ Phantom Girl muttered.

_'Forty-five seconds.'_

_'Lightning, are you there?'_ Cosmic Wave demanded. _'Answer me – this is important!'_

'WHAT?!' Lightning's voice came through, close by, sharp and annoyed.

As much as Cos wanted to scream at him for disappearing for three days, he instead shoved images of Dream Girl's most recent vision into his Commander's head. _'Do you know this man?'_

Lightning sucked in a sharp breath, hovering on the edge of the Stardrome._ 'Anbar.'_

_'You know him?'_ Cos inquired.

_'Fifteen seconds.'_ Brainy interjected.

_'I see him!'_ Nightsun declared. He swooped down, barely giving his partners time to realize it as Anbar and his teleporting companion appeared on the rooftop. Anbar hoisted the cannon onto his shoulders.

_'The Tamaranean!'_ his companion exclaimed.

"Take her out!" Umbra instructed. She let herself drop as Nightsun loosed a silver starbolt. Anbar whirled around with a yellow-fang grin, and pressed the trigger.

'MOVE!' Lightning bellowed in their minds; and Backlash slammed into Nightsun, narrowly avoiding the sphere that shot past them and erupted in a explosion of lightning.

Umbra crashed into Sade with war cry, sending them both tumbling over the roof's edge.

Anbar turned back to the Stardrome as the blue cruiser dropped out of the zetastream(3) and fired.

"No!" Dream Girl cried as the lightning orb tore through the air.

_'Sleep,'_ Saturn Girl commanded, sending out a mental thought command as waves of pink energy appeared in her vision. Anbar moaned, eyes flashing amber as lightning erupted from his body in a pillar of light, blinding both girls.

"Ah!"

Anbar drew the hilts of his blade tonfa, activating the crystalline blade; it crackled with electricity, just as Timber Wolf, with Phantom Girl's help, burst through the ground like a furry torpedo – Phantom Girl somersaulted off his back, freeing Timber Wolf to send Anbar flying with a uppercut.

_'Trips, Nightsun, Backlash, take of care of the civilians!'_ Phantom Girl commanded. _'And take Saturn and Dream with you.'_

* * *

Cosmic Wave and Kinetix dropped onto the emerging cruiser; Cosmic Wave immediately projected a shield around it. Kinetix stopped the lightning orb in mid-flight, encasing it in green energy – but it vibrated madly in her telekinetic grip.

Five more lightning orbs churned through the air.

Backlash shot after one of them and smashed it to smithereens with a kinetically-charged punch – but the others were too fast for him to chase. The lightning orb in Kinetix's telekinetic hold exploded, sending streams of electricity streaking across the sky, electrifying Cosmic Wave's protective shield.

"Kiki, the cruiser!" Cos warned. Both he and Kinetix dropped as the cruiser dipped sharply, losing altitude. "Those orbs aren't magnetic."

A streak of lightning shot down two more orbs, diffusing them and blasting them to pieces – but the next three orbs smashed into the rear engine, sending up a clap of thunder and a shriek as the machinery erupted into a field of flames and metal.

"Shield!" Lightning bellowed at Kinetix – but she had already thrown up a green energy shield around herself and Cos, while trying to hold the cruiser at the same time.

"Those people need to get out." Cos told her. "Can you hold the ship up?"

"It's...heavy." Kiki strained,

"I'll help." Brainy volunteered.

* * *

The island was in a panic. People raced for cover as amber lightning and flames adorned the coral skies and battle raged overhead. Umbra and Sade teleported in mid-air and crashed to the ground, Sade taking the impact as Umbra's hand clutched around her throat, threatening the teleporter's breath.

_"Warp out! Warp out, now!"_ a voice ordered from Sade's omnicom.

Sade's form wavered and Umbra socked her in the jaw, disrupting her concentration.

"Why is Anbar doing this?" she demanded. "To threaten us? What does that cruiser have and how did you know it was free-gate?"

Sade coughed and scrambled at her belt. "Just for fun."

Umbra's eyes widened and she jumped back as Sade fired, nearly incinerating the Talokian's leg. And then Sade vanished.

Umbra scowled. "Damn it."

* * *

A crew member was falling out of the damaged cruiser, screaming bloody murder; a streak of neon lighting erupted and arched downwards. XS hesitated.

"XS, help us!" Brainiac 5 commanded. His cybernetic eye flashed as he attempted to pull the cruiser's damaged engines back together – but he'd have to touch it to get real results; the engine was blasted to hell. Cosmic Wave was busy gathering crew members into protective bubbles and escorting them to the Science Police transports.

XS erupted into motion, spinning in a tight circle beneath the cruiser to generate a wind-current.

* * *

Lightning saw nothing but neon light and hazy shapes and the civilian man's panicked screams.

"Stop screaming – you're losing oxygen!" Lightning barked. He blinked, forcing his vision to clear, feeling electricity swirl around his body as he let go of his flight and just dropped, seizing the civilian's arm to pull him out of the way of the streak of amber lightning that shot towards them.

_'Oh, so you wanna play?'_

The civilian screamed again as Lightning's eyes glowed neon, coating his vision in a blue field as lightning coursed down his scar. He couldn't see anything...and he could see everything. Every atom, every water drop, every electric charge.

A field of electricity exploded, splitting the approaching amber lightning in half as Lightning ducked. _'Dawnstar!'_ He dropped the civilian safely into Dawnstar's tight grip and became a blaze of lightning, thunder booming his wake.

* * *

Brainiac 5 sank into himself, reaching out with all of his power to control the machines – and quietly, Saturn Girl added her mental strength to his own, sending out waves of calm to her teammate and to the populace.

_'Brace yourselves.'_

* * *

Anbar slammed Phantom Girl under the jaw with a kick and tossed her into a charging, snarling Timber Wolf, forcing them both through a wall with the lupine Legionnaire absorbing most of the impact. Anbar's eyes glowed amber as he gave his two fallen opponents a sneer of contempt as if expecting more of a challenge from them. Shrouds of amber lightning sprang up around his body as he jumped off the roof and streaked into the sky.

* * *

It was as if the sky had been torn apart. The world screamed as lightning of two different colors crashed together in a searing sound. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked, creating a sound that shredded eardrums and echoed across the city while the lightning flashed in sheets of blinding blue and amber. The electricity spread in destructive waves across the area as vechs crashed, monitors went haywire, and people panicked and ran away from the machines as fast as they could.

Lightning curved away as Anbar's blade tonfa flicked upwards, nearly slicing off his ear – and kicked him in the stomach, pulling away from the other lightning-wielder. The lightning flash faded as Anbar gripped his weapon by both handles, a sick grin on his face.

"I said I'd come back for you, Garth."

"Then you'll have to go back your mommy in pieces. It's Lightning now." Lightning threw his arms up in an X-block, dispersing and absorbing the electricity as Anbar sent another bolt of lightning at him. Lightning let it sink into his bones before he snapped open his eyes again, dispelling the lightning orb around him.

He swerved, narrowly missing being decapitated by Anbar's blade, his teeth bared in anger. Lightning caught the stab to his stomach in a lightning-enshrouded hand and only barely managed to get out of the way as the other blade came back to his neck, grazing it with a shallow cut. He winced as the crystal blade sank into his skin, sending jolts of electricity into his blood.

"So, where's mountain bird?" Anbar grinned. "She's always fun to play with."

"As if I'd tell you that." Lightning headbutted him, stunning the other lightning-wielder and slamming a knee into his stomach before whirling around and sending streams of lightning through Anbar's crystalline blades. The lightning snapped both blades of the lethal weapons clean through the middle. Lightning kicked Anbar away, but Anbar snatched at Lightning's long ponytail, forcing a cry of pain from the Legionnaire.

"A bit girly, eh, Garth?" Anbar baited.

"I said it's _Lightning!"_ the Legionnaire snapped, seizing Anbar's wrist and twisting it. He grabbed Anbar's second blade and brought the shorn knife through his hair in a single motion. The strands parted with ease, the ends singed by the lightning; Lightning spun to deliver a kick to Anbar.

Lightning sent a stream of lightning through his own body, charging the air particles into a single electrified shot that sent Anbar hurtling through the air and smashing through a building before crashing to the ground, rolling several feet before he slowed to a stop.

Anbar growled, struggling to his feet and bringing his broken blades upwards to slash the air, sending streaks of lightning at the Winathian.

"Stay back!" Lightning barked at the Science Police closing in on Anbar.

Anbar rose to his feet, a shroud of amber lightning crackling around his body in a swirling cloud. Lightning punched through the electric jolts and slammed into Anbar, jamming his shoulder into his stomach and sending him tumbling into the river with a blast of lightning.

There was a roar of rage as Anbar disappeared under the surface. An explosive geyser burst up, shooting water twenty meters into the air. River drops drizzled over Lightning and the Science Police as they fell returned to their source; the Science Police began to whisper.

"Is he down?"

"Is he_ dead?"_

"I doubt it," one of the more cynical officers muttered.

Lightning landed heavily, swaying, his vision blurring out as he went down on one knee. There was a flurry of wind as XS appeared by his side.

"Lightning! Are you okay?"

Lightning shook his head and regretted it; his vision spun out of control, blending colors, objects, and people together into one distorted blur. He pressed his hand to his head. "...mistake..." he mumbled.

"Come on, we need to get you back to the Pavilion," XS said gently, trying to tug him to his feet. Nightsun and Dawnstar landed next to them as the river started to churn.

"I don't think that kid is down," a Sci-Pol said.

Lightning's head jerked up, his eyes glowing neon as a funnel of water rose into the air and crashed down towards them. Electricity discharged, burning the air. Streams of lightning crackled from Lightning's body, forcing his friends to skip backwards to avoid electrocution.

Then the water collapsed back into the river and the neon in Lightning's vision slid sharply to black as sound died.

* * *

End Episode 4.3

(1) Zeta Gates are interstellar transportation devices that utilize zeta beams (like the type they use in the Adam Strange series and the Zeta Beams/Tubes in Young Justice). The gates are capable of warping anyone from one place to another regardless of distance. So far there's one in every solar system, each suited to their paths on an interstellar level (the intergalactic ones are rarer to come by). There are numerous hubs containing these gates in every habitual location. The logistics of Zeta Gates is something someone needs to be familiar with and sometimes booking a Zeta Gate early is easier said than done.

(2) Omnicom – Communicator capable of operating on all frequencies.

(3) Zetastream – The term for the transportational energy used by the Zeta Gates. Zetastream is capable of teleporting one being or object from one location to another.


	14. Episode 5 Part 1: Secrets and Lies

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx, with Assistance from Mirror's Mirage_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga_

Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1

Episode 5: Echoes of the Past – Part 1: Secrets and Lies

_Song: Crusading Angels – Jonathan Beaudette_

* * *

March 2nd, 3011

_~Somewhere in New Metropolis; 18:50~_

* * *

Mekt Ranzz waited impatiently (and, though he would never admit it, somewhat nervously) at the rendezvous point. Earlier he had contacted Eve (Queen Aries, he reminded himself – that woman really did have an ego as big as Mars) and told her he had a few of the things she wanted him to steal. Over his shoulder he had slung a bag filled with two of the devices she wanted – both of which he had cleverly rigged according to Garth's explicit instructions so they wouldn't work the way they were supposed to. Mekt really hoped they would at least _look_ convincing – he had no doubt Queen Aries would want to test them out, and if they were malfunctioning at this early stage…well, let's just say he wasn't looking forward to finding out what would happen to him.

_This better work, Garth_, he thought to himself. If it didn't, he might just be toast.

Without warning, two figures materialized in front of him. Mekt jumped.

"Hello, Mekt," Eve greeted coolly from beside Titania, who smiled smugly at him as she held on to the teleportation device they'd used to get here.

"Queen Aries," he acknowledged.

"Do you have the objects?" Eve questioned.

"I have two." Mekt unslung his bag and withdrew the two devices within them. "The Psi-Jammer and the lightning insulator." For the life of him Mekt couldn't figure out why Eve would want a lightning insulator. She had a lightning-wielder of her own who could deal with Garth if it came to that – not to mention the metability inhibition gun he still had to steal for her.

"They are functional, I assume?" Eve asked, taking the two devices.

Mekt nodded vaguely. "Far as I can tell." Then, to sound natural, he asked, "Where's my pay?"

Eve shook her head. "You really are a mercenary, aren't you?"

Mekt ignored that.

"Here," said Eve, handing him a small pouch full of Martian credits. "You live on Mars, right?"

He nodded as he accepted the pouch, resolving never to spend any of it. He didn't want this money on his hands.

"And the other objects?" Eve queried.

"I'm still working on them."

She nodded. "I want you to move the pennitate and the metability inhibitor gun to the top of the list. Those are highest priority."

"Fine," Mekt said.

"I'll see you again, Mekt." With that, Eve and Titania vanished, leaving Mekt with a frown on his face.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion; 19:00~_

* * *

A murmured buzz hung over the Legion's headquarters as the Legionnaires milled around, recovering from the fight with Anbar. Some – Ricochet, Timber Wolf, and Chameleon Boy among them – were eating in the cafeteria. Others – like Dream Girl, Diamond, and Brainiac 5 – were holed up in their rooms attempting to do something productive that would help them deal with this new threat. Mostly, however, the super-powered young people were talking amongst themselves, comparing notes and stories and trying to figure out who the new lightning-wielder was.

In Apartment A, however, the hush that enshrouded Lightning's room was palpable, bordering on uncomfortable. The Legion leader was sitting in a chair, silently gathering his jumbled thoughts, while Saturn Girl stood behind him, trimming his much-shorter hair to an even shoulder length with quiet snips of the scissors.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently, breaking the silence.

Lightning sighed. He could hear the concern in her voice, and he knew she was only looking out for him – but he couldn't bring himself to talk about it. "Yes," he lied, knowing she'd see through it anyway.

"Garth…" Saturn Girl began.

"I said I'm fine, Imra," he snapped.

Silence descended again. Saturn Girl was sorely tempted to ease her way into Lightning's head to find out what was upsetting him so much, but she refrained. She couldn't do that to him.

"I'm sorry," Lightning said presently.

"It's okay," she forgave him. "You're upset about something, I know. But you'll tell us when you're ready." With a final snip, she set the scissors down. "There. All done." She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, a rare gesture of affection. "Get some rest. We'll be waiting for you in the conference room when you're ready."

As she turned to go, Lightning said, "Thanks, Imra."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Zeta Hub, Level 9; , 20:15~_

* * *

"How's it going, Brainy? Any luck?" Nemesis Kid inquired.

Brainiac 5 sighed. "None so far, unfortunately. I can't find any report, article, profile, record, or other information on this Anbar person."

"That's because he doesn't exist in any database."

Brainy and Nemesis Kid turned to see Lightning levitating into the room.

"Lightning," Nemesis Kid acknowledged. "I thought you were supposed to be resting."

"I did."

"When you say Anbar does not exist in any database, do you mean…" Brainy started.

Lightning nodded. "I mean he doesn't exist in _any_ database. He's a veritable ghost."

Brainy raised an eyebrow. "So does he exist in your memory, then?"

Lightning sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair, but didn't say anything. His silence alone was enough to convince Brainy, though.

"Lightning, if you know anything about this new threat we are facing, we need to know."

Lightning exhaled. "I know." He straightened, getting into what Gaia called his 'leader pose'. "Call a meeting."

"Of whom?" Brainy wanted to know.

"Everyone." Lightning's tone was serious. "The entire Legion."

* * *

When, a few minutes later, the entire Legion had been gathered in Zeta Hub, as per Lightning's order, the Legion Commander himself was busy pacing across the front of the room. Like it or not, he knew he was going to have to tell them everything he had kept from them – about his past, about Sovereign, about Ayla, and even about Mekt. He caught Saturn Girl's eye, and she smiled encouragingly at him, sending him a warm wave of telepathic support at the same time.

With a final deep breath, Lightning turned to face the assembled Legionnaires – thirty-three in total.

"Look," he began, "This is really difficult to explain, so if you guys could just keep quiet and hear me out, I'd appreciate it. You're gonna have to bear with me, because it's a long story." He paused, wondering where to start. "I suppose a good place to begin would be to tell you how I got my powers.

"I'm sure you know I wasn't born with my powers. The fact is, when I was eight years old, my brother Mekt took me and my twin sister Ayla out for a ride in the star system – but we ran out of fuel and crash landed on Korbal."

"The planet of the lightning beasts?" Princess Projectra asked.

"The very same," Lightning affirmed. "Mekt's idea was to use the lightning from the beasts to power the fuel cells in the ship. It worked – to an extent. The fuel cells were repowered – but in the process, we all got a dose of high-powered lightning. It gave us all bioelectricity powers..." he filled his hand with a ball of lightning – "...although we didn't find that out till later.

"Anyway, on our way back to Winath, something attacked the ship. We were just three kids, against an unknown enemy – we didn't have much of a chance, even though we did discover our powers." Lightning exhaled. "The next thing I know, I woke up in a strange place. Ayla was with me, but Mekt was nowhere to be found.

"As it turned out, Ayla and I had been taken by a group of hunters working for Sovereign Academy – a military school on an asteroid called Guruhi. The Sovereign Syndicate is a power that's been around for hundreds of years, and they've stayed in power so long because of one key factor: _they kidnap children and train them as their army_."

A collective gasp rippled through the room, mainly caused by the more emotional Legionnaires like Triplicate Girl and Chameleon Boy. Lightning pretended to ignore it and moved on.

"By kidnapping us, Sovereign claimed Ayla and me as students...cadets. We were placed in a division and forced to study at the Academy."

"How does Sovereign force these children to fight for them?" Saturn Girl asked. "Surely they don't do it willingly."

"Not at first," said Lightning, "but the Academy uses a system of brainwashing to _make_ them willing to do Sovereign's bidding. This also makes them forget about their parents, their family, their past life – it makes the students slaves to Sovereign."

"That's horrible," Kinetix exclaimed.

Lightning nodded grimly. "It is. Luckily for me, there were two Dhavmere sisters by the names of Xalisana Nightcross and Nisahrel Twilightblade living on Guruhi. They had been trying to start a rebellion against Sovereign, but it had never worked, because people were too afraid to challenge the Syndicate. But the cadets of my particular division were…well, you could say we were the stars of the school. We were the top group, trained by Sovereign to be the elite. As a result of this, we sort of…I don't know…managed to hold out against the brainwashing. We were also braver than the rest, so we decided to form a group called the Outriders of Dawn.

"Among our fellow Outriders was a girl named Adeola Montaigne-Dia…you might know her better as Charlotte Sophia-Ourea."

Phantom Girl's jaw dropped in surprise – and hers wasn't the only one. "Charlotte Sophia...Gaia?" she exclaimed in shock. "Gaia is Adeola? But-but that's impossible! It was all over the news channels! Adeola _died_! My mother attended the ceremony held by the NWU for all the kids who died in that accident! She's _been_ dead! For nine years!"

There were nods of agreement from the more news-savvy people of the team.

"Clearly, she's _not_ dead," Lightning drawled. "And it wasn't an accident. She was a prisoner of Sovereign, just like Ayla and me – we grew close. Ayla became her best friend, and I became her oath-brother. Knowing we could count on each other was one of the few things that kept us going.

"So, we spent the next four years resisting their control, quietly rebelling. We were a pain, but we were their ace, remember – they didn't want to jeopardize what they _thought_ was a good asset." Lightning sighed. "But no one was going to do _anything_ unless everyone believed that the impossible was possible. It didn't help that Xalis sank into a depression when..." He paused here, and stared at the floor. "...when Nisah was killed. It didn't help and we had to put Xalis back together for her to be able to function – killing one Dhavmere sibling is like killing part of the other's _soul_."

There was a long, chilling silence as Lightning paced back and forth, the Legionnaires absorbing the full impact of his words.

"Everyone who had tried to escape before was caught and punished," he continued after a moment. "What we needed to do was try to actually get out and _not_ get killed. So, one day, five of us decided to do it. Besides me and Ayla, Adeola, Tsunami, and Obsidian all agreed to escape."

Matter-Eater frowned. "Tsunami and Obsidian?" he questioned, noting the difference between those names and the others Lightning had mentioned. "Codenames?"

"Yes," Lightning replied. "As Outriders, we gave ourselves codenames. Obviously, I kept mine.

"Anyway, we planned and plotted for the breakout, going over every painstaking detail – Adi wouldn't stop nagging us about it either. But on the night we were supposed to escape, Ayla didn't show. We looked for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I was worried sick, and I almost backed out of the escape attempt, but Adeola all but forced me to go through with it. She told me Ayla knew what was going on, and if we couldn't find her, maybe she didn't want to be found. It took awhile to convince me – because I kept having these horrible thoughts about Sovereign...maybe they'd found out about the escape plans and imprisoned her to get information, or they were torturing her, or she was just the unfortunate cadet to be picked for the next brainwashing session..."

It took all of Saturn Girl's willpower not to jump out of her seat to comfort Lightning then and there – so raw and real was his pain that everyone in the room felt it.

After a few moments, Lightning regained his composure and continued, "I wasn't comfortable with it – _at all_ – but Adeola eventually managed to convince me to leave before it was too late – but I spent years wondering what happened to Ayla that night. It wasn't until recently that Gaia told me Ayla had chosen to back out. She'd decided to stay behind to help lead the rebellion. See, the whole point of us escaping was to show them that freedom and rebellion _was_ possible. It would be pretty pointless if they had no leader to show them the way. And with Xalis still recovering from her shock..." Lightning sighed and there was a brief pause. "She told only Adeola, because she knew she would be the only one who would understand – the rest of us wouldn't have taken no for an answer; one way or another, we would have found a way to bring her with us. That's why we couldn't find her that night – and Ayla told Adi specifically not to tell _anyone_, least of all me, until we were all safely away.

"Anyway, back to the escape. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we managed to get over the outer wall of the school compound to the cruiser yard before the guards caught up with us." Here Lightning paused, staring up at the ceiling as if into the stars.

"They were angry," he continued softly. "Very angry. They had orders to kill us, to make an example of us and so thoroughly demoralize the Outriders that they would no longer be a problem. I didn't think we were going to make it out of there alive, but Tsunami and Obsidian told me and Adeola to go while they held off the guards." His electric blue eyes held deep sadness. "They died."

_He could still hear Gaia's screams of rage as he dragged her away from the fight, her nails biting into his skin. She wanted to go back and help them – but that wasn't an option. They'd all be killed and then the point of this escape would be moot. The water crashed and the earth trembled as Zen and Iduna exercised their elemental abilities against their long-time captors, breaking free of the pain they had suffered for so long. And in that moment – they were free._

A stunned and horrified silence fell over the Legionnaires – but Lightning continued with barely a pause, pushing that memory away.

"After we escaped, we managed to make our way to the nearest space dock, and we moved on from there. Unfortunately, Adeola and I got separated on the dock, and we ended up on different cruisers. I didn't see her again till the Summit's Opening Ceremony in August, which was why she never got a chance to tell me that Ayla was safe."

Stunned, shocked silence was the only thing to be heard in Zeta Hub as Lightning finished his tale. It was eventually broken by Nemesis Kid, who asked, "Lightning…does Sovereign have anything to do with the child-abduction cases off-world you had me investigate?"

Lightning looked up, nodding. "Sovereign has _everything_ to do with those cases. When I heard of children disappearing last year, I knew something was up, but I couldn't afford to open a full investigation because of the whole business with the Ambassadorial Summit. So I decided to go with a one-man, undercover operation."

"Nemesis Kid," Shrinking Violet surmised.

"Right," Lightning agreed. "And he brought back enough information to assure me that it is Sovereign behind those abductions. They're searching for a new generation of child soldiers for their academy. And it's not just that. I've found out that Sovereign's been working behind the scenes of the Neo Kobra Conspiracy at the Summit."

"What?" Nightsun exclaimed.

Lightning nodded. "Sovereign's been in league with Neo Kobra, and now that the Kobras are defeated, they're taking center stage." He looked seriously around the room. "I spent six years trying to run from Sovereign, but I'm done running. Ayla's still on Guruhi with the Outriders, and now that Sovereign's found me and Gaia, they're not going to rest until they have us back in their clutches. I have everything to fight for, but I can't do it alone." His gaze travelled to his fellow Founders, Cosmic Wave and Saturn Girl. "We can't let Sovereign win. For the kids trapped on Guruhi, for Ayla, for the Outriders, and for the good of the galaxy, we have to stand up to Sovereign and put them down for good."

* * *

The Legionnaires were dismissed after another hour of Lightning giving them specific bits of information to look for, their separate tasks, and information packets on Sovereign. He said they were welcome to pepper him with questions and made a beeline for the door as the Legionnaires scattered to their assigned tasks, talking amongst themselves.

Dream Girl stood, trying to wriggle through the crowd – but Zeta Hub wasn't built for this many people trying to leave.

The precog huffed; she wanted to talk Lightning in person, not mind-to-mind.

"Concerned?" Saturn Girl asked quietly. The Naltorian looked up at her fellow psychic and nodded.

"Remember the vision I was telling you about? The one about his sister?"

Saturn Girl nodded. "I remember."

"You already know that I met Garth before we joined the Legion," said Dream Girl. "He came to me, when I was working as Madame Mysterious, asking where his parents were. But I had no idea why. And sometimes I get flashes of things, many months before they happen – but nothing solid. It's only recently that I've begun to have dreams focusing on Sovereign."

Saturn Girl nodded. The crowd was beginning to thin and the two psychics managed to escape; the Zeta Hub didn't have a lot of room for flight.

"I'd like to speak to him alone," Dream Girl added.

The Titanian nodded, allowing the Naltorian to set off to look for Garth on her own. She sighed as Nightsun cleared his throat behind her.

"Yes?"

"I need some help understanding exactly what he told me to do," Nightsun confessed, pointing at his tablet of instructions. Saturn Girl smiled and held her hand out for it.

* * *

"And the Knights are okay with it?"

Lightning was sitting in his office again (he was probably going to be in here more often than usual), with Gaia's image in the holoprojector before him.

She nodded. _"Of course they are. We're just making preparations; there's a chance we'll be exposed to the public eye, so we'd like to get our story in order. There's kids living in the house above us, so we can't afford to expose them to danger."_

Lightning nodded. "I understand."

_"How did the Legion take it?"_

"Well enough, though I heard some...negative mutterings."

_"You have more people to deal with,"_ Gaia observed, sounding sympathetic. _"I'm just glad the Knights are all about secrets. Though, Arctic yelled at first."_

"Lucky you."

A knock interrupted their conversation, prompting Lightning to look up.

_"Who is it?"_ Gaia wondered as Lightning called the same thing out to his visitor.

_"Dream Girl,"_ COMPUTO announced. Lightning raised an eyebrow.

The door slid open and the precog flew into the room.

"What's up?" Lightning asked curiously.

She shrugged. "May I talk to you for a second? It's important."

_"You can call me back if you like,"_ Gaia said. Lightning raised an eyebrow at Dream Girl, who nodded after a moment's hesitation. _"Good luck, Sparx,"_ the Ceran said cheerfully before terminating the line.

"It's about your sister," Dream Girl blurted. Lightning's eyes snapped up to stare at her and Dream Girl forced a steady breath. "May I sit?"

Lightning shook himself out of his daze and nodded to the chair in front of his desk, rarely used. Dream Girl sat down and crossed her bare legs, suddenly feeling out of place in her leotard.

"I had a vision. I'll show you." She extended her hand to him; she didn't usually share images with Lightning directly – tactile contact made it easier.

Lightning grasped her gloved hand firmly in his own and let the images flood into his consciousness.

_Eve Aries stalked towards Gaia, whose limp form was crumpled on the floor. Eve smiled evilly as her eyes shone with the blue aura of her psychic abilities. Gaia's body twitched as blue light engulfed her, focusing on her heart and mind._

_"I'll have great pleasure in killing you," Eve said._

_"My mother would kill you."_

_Eve stopped, startled as Gaia's eyes – eagle eyes – snapped open and a smile graced her lips as golden energy pushed Eve's blue aura away._

_"But I'll spare her the trouble."_

_Before Eve could react, the Ceran had regained her feet and leaped into the air, swinging an axe-kick towards her skull._

_Anbar dropped into the corridor behind Gaia and Eve, raising his guard shoto – but he was suddenly tackled by twin blurs, sending all three hurtling down the corridor._

_One body peeled off and Anbar found himself pinned by Lightning, who advised, "Forget your mother; worry about yourself."_

_"How 'bout a three-way fight?" Anbar offered with a razor grin. "Twin Lightning versus Anbar."_

_Lightning levitated sharply upwards to escape Anbar's stabbing jab; Anbar came to his feet, landing in a fighting stance, and grinned as Voltage – Ayla Ranzz – recklessly shrouded herself in lightning and hurtled towards him, lightning dancing like deadly spears._

Dream Girl and Lightning lurched back to the present with startled gasps. Dream Girl blinked, massaging her hand from Lightning's tight grip. Lightning banged his head into the table.

The vision was clearer when she showed it to Lightning. Eve Aries, Anbar, Ayla.

"The vision _changed_," she whispered incredulously.

She knew the future changed constantly – but her psychic abilities allowed her to focus on the path a person's choices would take. Sometimes, a future _would_ become obsolete just by interfering the right places, but this...

The future was influx. Indeterminable. This hadn't happened before - her dreams always came true but if the future kept changing so... erratically...

"Eve Aries." Lightning's voice was a deep growl, his hands pressed flat to the table, electricity crackling around them. He had lifted his head and his hair was standing on end again. Blue-white lightning traced down his scar and danced along his skin. Dream Girl scooted backwards as another growl of rage came from the Legion Commander. "Anbar."

Dream Girl forced herself to calm down; the lightning clung to its source as if it didn't want to leave – it was unlikely that she would be electrocuted.

"Who _are_ they?" she asked.

Lightning looked up at her and she was startled to realized that his eyes were blazing neon. His brow furrowed and the lightning started to die, the electricity fading back into his body, the neon light slowly waning until it was gone. His hair still stuck up, though, and Dream Girl giggled at the sight.

Lightning sighed. "I need to make more memos."

Dream Girl waited for an answer to her question.

"So, Ayla _is_ still alive." Lightning smiled faintly. "That's good news."

Dream Girl nodded. "I'm happy I was finally able to give you an answer."

"Took you long enough," he agreed with a faint chuckle – then he sighed. "That woman in your vision...she's the Queen of Sovereign, her Eminence Eve Aries. And the other lightning-wielder is my, Gaia's, and Ayla's arch nemesis – if I want to be dramatic – Anbar. He's the one I fought earlier."

Lightning traced his scar; Dream Girl followed his movements with her eyes. "He's the one who gave me this. Let's just say that the chance to kill me...is like a game to him. One he doesn't want to lose."

* * *

_End Episode 5.1_


	15. Episode 5 Part 2: Debates

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**_

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 5: Echoes of the Past – Part 2: Debates

_Song: Soulseeker – Thomas Bergersen_

* * *

March 3rd, 3011

_~Eastern Midlands, Sovereign-Kobra Hideout; 10:11~_

* * *

Eve strolled quickly and purposefully through the numerous tunnels in the Sovereign hideout until she reached a large, airy cave that had been outfitted as a medical bay. At present, there was only one patient in it.

"How is he doing?" she questioned of Leviathan.

"His vitals are stable, but his brain activity is still quite slow," Leviathan replied. "His electric burns are healing nicely, though."

Eve merely made a noncommittal noise as she glanced down at Anbar's still form on the bed. Under the bandages that covered his skin, she knew, were raw red burns with blackish edges that would be oozing clear fluids – the result of a serious electrical shock.

"The fool," she said. "I've _told _him not to underestimate Garth, but he never listens. Water always was a weakness for him. How long will he be in this coma-like state?"

Leviathan coughed. "Difficult to say, Mother. His burns cover almost forty percent of his body, and on top of that, the electrical shock to his nervous system alone would be enough to keep him bedridden for several days, if not weeks. He's lucky to be alive," he finished.

"Yes," Eve agreed. "And he's lucky you and Sade managed to pull him out before it was too late."

Leviathan chuckled wryly. "I've got the burns to prove it." He held up his hands, and Eve could see the minor second-degree burns on his fingers. Hydrokinetic anthropomorphs like Leviathan did not mix well with lightning-wielders like Anbar; this was one of several reasons why Eve had wanted Mekt to procure a lightning insulator. Anbar, much as Eve disliked to admit it, wasn't exactly the most stable of persons.

Eve, playing mother, reached out and gently inspected Leviathan's injuries. "They'll heal quickly," she assured him. "They're not serious. You'll be good as new in a few days."

Leviathan nodded.

Eve sighed as she turned back to Anbar. "Anbar will take a bit longer to recover, though." A fond note entered her voice as she said, "He's too stubborn for his own good." She trailed her fingers across Anbar's forehead, stroking it with motherly gentleness.

"Indeed, Mother," Leviathan agreed.

At that moment, Queen Kobra entered the room. "Ah, there you are, Eve," she said. "I've been looking for you."

Eve turned to face her serpentine ally. "Yes?" she inquired.

"Snaketongue is back with his report," Queen Kobra informed her. "You may want to join us for the briefing."

Queen Kobra shrugged, but hesitated as she left the room. "How is your…er…son?" she asked – not from any real sense of concern, but from a desire to stay on Eve's good side. The Kobra queen loathed playing anyone's subordinate, but she knew how to play, nonetheless. And right now, staying on Eve Aries' good side was essential for the continued existence of her Kobra Cult.

Eve raised an eyebrow, obviously aware that Queen Kobra was only asking perfunctorily – but she appreciated the gesture, however empty, nevertheless.

"He's recovering," she said simply. She turned to Leviathan. "Keep me posted on his status. I want to know the moment he wakes up."

Leviathan nodded. Eve turned around and crossed the room in two strides.

"Shall we?" she asked Queen Kobra. The Snake Queen gestured at the entrance, indicating that they should proceed, and the two leaders left the med bay.

When they got to the conference room, other members of Sovereign and Neo Kobra were already waiting. Queen Kobra nodded at Snaketongue, who was standing at the head of the room, and he began.

"As planned, I established a perimeter of Kobras around the Legion's headquarters, Star Pavilion," he said. "Working together with Sade and Anbar, we remained alert for any opportunities to grab Gaia or Lightning. None presented itself, however, and Anbar..." Snaketongue's eyes flickered to Eve, who motioned for him to continue, her face inscrutable. "...Anbar was...impatient," Snaketongue said delicately, careful not to offend the Sovereign Headmistress. "He wanted action, and before we could stop him, he launched the attack on the Zeta Gate."

"Is your perimeter still in place?" Eve questioned.

"Yes."

"Pull it back."

"What?" Queen Kobra demanded. "Eve, I thought we agreed –"

"I _said_, pull it back," Eve repeated firmly. She met Queen Kobra's eyes. "The initial plan was to separate Garth and Adeola from their friends so we could kidnap them, but the situation has changed. Divide and conquer is no longer an option. Both Garth and Adeola have told their respective teams everything about Sovereign, and far from driving a wedge between them, they have in fact united them against us. As we speak, they are preparing for war." Eve's eyes flashed.

"This is not a personal battle between Sovereign and its ex-cadets anymore," she continued. "And we can no longer treat it such. We must make new plans, devise our own battle strategy. For Sovereign to flourish and regain its glory, we must – we shall – fight them all." She glanced at General Arn, who nodded in agreement.

"If it's a war they want," said Eve softly, "a war they shall get."

* * *

_~New Metropolis, City Square; 11:09~_

* * *

Lightning, Brainiac 5, and Nemesis Kid landed in City Square with the bearing of Legionnaires on a mission. There was nothing particularly offensive in their gait or posture as they made their way to the government building where the mayor worked, but the Science Police guards on duty around the square seemed to take their presence as a personal insult.

"What are you doing here?" one of them demanded venomously.

Brainiac 5 raised an eyebrow. Lightning said, "This is our city too. We have every right to be here."

The guard snorted. "Right," he said sarcastically. "You Legionnaires think that just because your so-called headquarters are here, that gives you the right to pop up anywhere, without any regard for the rules."

"Rules?" Brainiac 5 questioned, a certain challenging lilt to his voice. "Pray tell, what rules?"

"For starters, the ones which say no unauthorized person is allowed inside the mayor's workplace until two p.m."

"Really?" said Brainy. "Then it's a good thing we're _not _unauthorized, isn't it?"

"You," the guard insisted, "are most definitely _not _authorized to be here, whatever you may think."

Lightning, getting impatient with the Sci-Pol's snobbish attitude, said irritably, "Look, we've got a meeting with Mayor Andresan, all right? Back off."

The Sci-Pol scowled ferociously, but he knew the mayor favored the Legion, and he also knew that it wasn't uncommon for him to schedule meetings with Legionnaires. But great Jupiter, it irked him to no end that a bunch of young upstarts running around in ridiculous costumes had the full support of the United Planets and the authority of the Science Police.

"Can we go in now?" Nemesis Kid inquired, politely, but with an edge of annoyance.

Throwing them a dark look, the Sci-Pol reluctantly waved them in.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, NMPD HQ; 11:34~_

* * *

"So, I spun the vech around, see, and then I doubled back along the back alleyways." The rookie Science Police officer smiled in self-satisfaction as he retold his story of the capture of a petty thief earlier that morning. "The guy didn't know what hit him when I appeared right in front of him. Before he could even say 'I surrender', I had him on the ground, cuffed." He grinned, obviously enormously pleased with himself.

However, the majority of his colleagues were completely uninterested in his commonplace capture of a street thief. In fact, his only listeners were two or three other rookies, who were all even greener than he was.

Across the room, veteran officer Shvaughn Erin rolled her eyes at the enthusiastic rapture of the young Sci-Pol's small audience. Scenes like this were more commonplace than most people realized. Young rookies, flushed with the success of nabbing their first criminal, often took days to come down from the high of the thrill, and frequently tried to bring other rookies along with them.

"Would you listen to that?" Gigi Cusimano said from beside Shvaughn. "It must be nice to be a rookie." Her eyes twinkled as she joked, "Sometimes I wish _I _were a rookie again."

Shvaughn looked at her. "You?"

"Sure. Why not? It would be nice to be fresh, young, full of ideals about right and wrong…"

"We're fresh. We're young. And we still hold ideals about right and wrong," Shvaughn pointed out.

Gigi smiled knowingly. "Not as much as those rookies over there," she disagreed lightly.

"They're new. They'll learn soon enough that the world isn't as crystal-like and clear-cut as they think it is."

"When did you become so cynical?"

Shvaughn cracked a smile. "When I graduated my first month on the job. Optimism and idealism are all very well and good, but sadly, there isn't much place for them in the real world."

Gigi shook her head. "You really are a pessimist."

Shvaughn glared at her, but did not deny it. Instead she sighed as she stretched her legs out. Gigi noticed and turned to face her friend.

"Still worrying about the Legion?" she asked.

"I can't figure them out, Gigi," Shvaughn admitted. "I agree with Chief Norg – they're undermining the authority and efforts of the Science Police…and yet they single-handedly stopped the Tamaran-Thanagar war at the Ambassadorial Summit."

Gigi sighed. "You know where I stand, of course."

"Yes." Shvaughn hesitated. "Forgive me for saying so, but…isn't your view just a bit influenced by your personal relationship with Gim? Or should I say Colossal?"

Gigi shrugged. "Maybe," she admitted, "but Chief Norg's son is also with the Legion – and _he _dislikes them with a passion."

"I could point out that that could also be considered a motive to dislike them – because they – well, for lack of a better word – _stole _Lyle from a promising career in the Sci-Pol."

"Shvaughn," said Gigi, "my friendship with Gim notwithstanding, I wrestled with myself for a long time before accepting the Legion as a force for good." She exhaled, then continued, "Their methods may be different, and they may be a far cry from the Science Police, but their intentions are good – and they get the job done. There is no replacement for an organized law enforcement like the Science Police – but the Legion is something else entirely. They deal with things in a way only they can – taking down super criminals we know nothing about and have hardly any defense against, and working to keep the galaxy safe."

Shvaughn took a minute of silence to think about what her friend told her.

"The Legion isn't bad, Shvaughn," Gigi finished. "They're just…different. And that's a good thing, because with the world we live in, different is what we deal with everyday."

* * *

_~Mayor's Office, New Metropolis; 11:55~_

* * *

"_Who _is doing _what_?" Mayor Andresan exclaimed, half-rising from his chair.

"Sir, please calm down," Lightning said to the excitable mayor.

"Calm down?" Andresan demanded. "You just told me there's a kidnapping gang at work in this area of the galaxy, and you're telling me to _calm down_?"

"Technically, there is no specific galactic sector in which the kidnappers are particularly active," Brainiac 5 disagreed. "Child abductions with the same modus operandi have been reported all over the Milky Way, from Thanagar to Winath to Rimbor."

Mayor Andresan sank back in his chair, running his fingers through his cropped dark brown hair in a gesture of agitation. "Let me get this straight," he said. "You're telling me that this…this…organization…"

"Sovereign," Lightning supplied.

"Sovereign," said Andresan, "You're telling me that they've been behind all the recent abductions I've been hearing about?"

"Possibly not _all_," Brainiac 5 corrected, "but most, yes."

Ignoring him, the mayor continued, "And then they force the poor youngsters to study at this awful military school…"

"Sovereign Academy," Lightning interjected.

"…and brainwash them and make them part of their standing army?" The Legionnaires had never seen the mayor of the city that housed their headquarters so horrified.

"That's about it, yes," Nemesis Kid agreed. "I've been doing some digging into Sovereign's activities, and they're definitely searching for the next generation of cadets for their school. Even worse, they've started to take a hand in the galaxy's politics – as they proved when they assisted Neo Kobra at the Ambassadorial Summit."

"They're expanding their scope," Brainy added.

"Good Lord," Andresan whispered. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You're the first official we report to, officially," Lightning explained. "We need you to get the word out to the next authority level, and they in turn will report to their supervisors, and so and so forth until the news spreads to every official in the United Planets. We need this information all over the galaxy as soon as possible, so we can educate parents and families on the danger of the situation. Fewer children will be kidnapped if we send out an alert."

The mayor had gone quite pale by now. "Surely you can do this yourselves?" he asked, with a pleading look in his eyes. "I'm not cut out to deal with this sort of thing. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"We just gave you a place to start," Nemesis Kid pointed out.

"Besides, we Legionnaires need to start preparing ourselves – training for the war," put in Brainy. "There's no time to waste."

At this, the little color that was left in Andresan's face promptly drained away. "War?" he croaked hoarsely.

Lightning sighed as he nodded. "It's unfortunate, but I don't think there's any way around it."

"War?" the mayor repeated in shock.

"You let us worry about that, Mayor," said Nemesis Kid. "The important thing now is to get the information out to everyone."

"We're counting on you, Mayor," Lightning added.

Andresan gulped. "Oh, dear," he muttered. He pressed a button on the phone on his desk, and immediately a holoscreen of his secretary popped up.

"Yes, Mayor?" she asked.

"Get me Senator B'lanzz," Andresan instructed. "Tell him it's a matter of galactic importance, and I need to speak with him immediately."

"Yes, sir," the secretary complied before she terminated the call.

"Thank you, Mayor," Lightning said sincerely. His opinion of the man had just gone up a notch.

Andresan, however, merely grunted, still a little wild around the eyes. Last year's City Hall debacle had been bad enough (he never wanted to see another larger-than-average plant again); followed by the stress of the Tamaran-Thanagar situation, and now this…

"Thank you for the information," he said at last, rising to shake their hands and see them out. "I will certainly do my part, and I wish you good luck in the…ahem…war." Then his expression turned wry as he added, "I suppose, in light of recent events, it's a very good thing the Ambassadorial Summit's been moved off-world."

* * *

_End Episode 5.2_


	16. Episode 5 Part 3: Investigation

**********A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage  
Written by Peonywinx, with assistance from Mirror's Mirage and Dranzer's Inferno  
Edited by Peonywinx**

ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time

* * *

Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga

Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1

Episode 5: Echoes of the Past – Part 3: Investigation

Song: See What I've Become – Zack Hemsey

* * *

March 7th, 3011

~Thanagarian Capitol, Eagle Wings; 07:54~

* * *

Devak Mal hovered in the air, brown wings outstretched, and settled into a cross-legged position as he studied the floating screens around him, scrolling newsboards in writing, images, and video alike.

His lounge room wasn't very ornate, despite the large size and the location of his home in Eagle Wings, one of the most prestigious and expensive residential neighborhoods in the skyland capitol of Thanagar, Thalrassa. He wouldn't even be here if it weren't so conveniently placed in relation to the government buildings. Devak didn't look as if he belonged in a such a large room, with his shaved head, black eyes, square jaw, and fleshy nose that had been broken at least twice.

As Chief Thanagarian Ambassador, it was his duty to keep up with all the news of the galaxy – one never knew when a small, seemingly insignificant event could trigger a chain of reactions that resulted in an unpredictable political shift.

On this particular morning, however, Devak Mal was not looking so much for potential disturbances in the world of politics; rather, he was keeping a hawk eye out for any news whatsoever of the most recent big story that had taken the galaxy by storm: the so-called Sovereign Syndicate that was on the hunt for children to kidnap and train for their army.

The official story was that certain authorities within the United Planets had uncovered information about Sovereign, and had therefore alerted the public; but the prevailing opinion among the galactic populace was that the UP had been tipped off by the Legion. Devak, recalling the incident with Quain Yla and the Ceran girl Charlotte Sophia-Ourea – Vanguardian Gaia – at the Ambassadorial Summit's Opening Ceremony, was also inclined to believe this.

With the end of the Ambassadorial Summit merely three days ago, Devak had not imagined that anything major could occur so soon. He had only returned to Thanagar last night. And yet…here it was, proof in the news that the galaxy was in the beginning grip of yet another major crisis. And once again, the Legion of Superheroes was right in the thick of it.

He waved away an unimportant stream of videos and pulled up more images and stories as he held in a sigh – it seemed as if crises were just crashing down on them.

Devak had enormous respect and liking for the young fledglings and their mysterious allies; they had averted an interplanetary war and halted the potential fall of the Natural World Union and the United Planets when practically everyone else had deemed it an inevitable occurrence, and foiled an exceedingly complicated plot by the Neo Kobra Cult in the process. Devak had no doubt that if it hadn't been for the Legion, given a decade or so, the UP would no longer exist, or at least be in tatters, with great damage to the Natural World Union as well.

However, Devak got the feeling that this Sovereign business was a great deal more complicated than the Neo Kobra plot at the Summit. Reading between the lines of the news, and considering that Quain Yla had insinuated himself into the Thanagarian delegation almost a full year before the Summit – and all for the purpose of hunting the Vanguardian Charlotte – Devak was sure this was bigger than Neo Kobra's plot and Sovereign had been using the chaos of the Summit to cover their activities. The Legion would be hard pressed to sort this out.

Well, he thought to himself, it's time they got some help.

* * *

~Falcon Beak Neighborhood; 08:11~

* * *

The gentle beeping of the omnicom pulled Panarsa from her datapad. She pressed the button to answer and snapped to attention immediately when the face of her employer appeared.

"Ambassador Devak," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Panarsa, do you remember Quain Yla?" Devak asked.

Panarsa frowned. "The bounty hunter? Yes, I do. What about him?"

"I have a hunch that he was working for the Sovereign Syndicate. I need to access his files."

"I see," said Panarsa. "And you want me to help you investigate." Devak smiled knowingly at her; she grinned back. "Where do you want to meet?"

"The Wingmen Headquarters. We need the Yla case records and evidence."

"Got it," agreed Panarsa. "I'll meet you there in ten minutes."

* * *

~Thanagarian Wingmen Headquarters; 08:21~

* * *

True to her word, Panarsa arrived at the Wingmen(1) headquarters approximately ten minutes later, where she met up with Devak. Then the two of them proceeded to enter and request permission to view the case file of the Quain Yla investigation, which was still ongoing.

The Wingman on duty, however, despite being a personal friend of Devak's, was reluctant to allow them to continue.

"The answer is no," he told them firmly. "You know those case files are restricted information – that one especially, since it involved a breach of Thanagarian security. And the perpetrator was murdered when he escaped, which makes it even more classified. We're still investigating his murder."

"I understand that, Azdar," Devak said patiently, "but this is a matter of great importance. Believe me, I wouldn't be asking if it weren't."

"It might have something to do with the recent child abductions on Thanagar and elsewhere," Panarsa added.

The Wingman hesitated. "What are you mixed up in this time, Devak?"

Devak gave him a wry smile. "For once, not politics, my friend. Let's leave it at that."

Azdar sighed, relenting. "Yla's file is YQ10811TS. You should find it in the archives' modern history."

"Thank you, Azdar. I owe you a boon."

"I should think so," the Wingman muttered, standing up and grabbing his keychips.

* * *

Devak and Panarsa found a secluded section of the archive to settle in – as Azdar had insisted that the files be kept within Wingmen walls and he also forbade downloading or copying anything– and absorbed themselves in the extensive records on the deceased traitor, plugging the datapad on him into the projector and getting dozens of floating screens with reports, new articles, images, and the like.

"Interesting...according to this, he was actually a Sadar Ayres and went missing as a young child," Panarsa said, writing coded notes on her datapad. "When he was just...seven, eight years old. He returned to Thanagar three years before the Summit at the age of twenty-three and spent some time as a military advisor. He had to go through an extensive evaluation because he didn't exist in any database. He told them he had been born off-world and his parents were killed before they could return."

"A convincing story." Devak stared at the floating screens. "But aside from some brief conversations with Gaia, we don't truly know why she was his target, and she did not seem inclined to tell even if she did know."

Panarsa nodded and shuffled a batch of screens off to the side. As she did so, something caught her eye. "What's this...?"

Devak looked over her shoulder at the words, 'Yla's Personal Files'.

"They're heavily encrypted," Panarsa noted.

"Can you access them? Have the Wingmen accessed them?"

"It doesn't look like it – but personal files are sure have to the information we seek. I'll try to crack it."

* * *

March 14th, 3011

~Thanagarian Capitol, Imperial Eeyrie; 11:47~

* * *

"Commander," the Wingman guard addressed respectfully.

Thalassa Agar, Imperial Commander of Thanagar, looked up from a stack of reports about Thanagarian commerce and businesses off-world. "What is it, Brushev?"

"Ambassador Devak Mal and his assistant Panarsa are here to see you, ma'am. They say it's a matter of great importance."

Thalassa pushed the reports towards her assistant. "Send them in," she ordered.

Brushev saluted and proceeded to do so; a moment later Devak and Panarsa entered. The two Thanagarians had not liked what they had found on their extensive search for answers. It had taken a great deal of energy to look presentable this morning, and not as if they had just returned from a battlefield.

"Good morning, Commander," Devak greeted as both he and Panarsa saluted respectfully. "We hope you are well on this day."

"And to you," Thalassa acknowledged. "What did you wish to speak with me about?"

Devak exchanged a glance with Panarsa and took a breath. "As I am sure you are aware, a number of events have gripped the United Planets – and by extension the Natural World Union – in the last few months. The triggering event, of course, was Quain Yla's direct attack upon a semi-active Astral Vanguardian by the codename of Gaia. Afterwards, he was arrested for his actions and his deception was revealed. Unfortunately, he escaped and was later killed by unknown persons. Based on my interactions with his intended target, Gaia, I decided that further investigation was needed."

He took a breath as the Imperial Commander laced her fingers together and nodded. Panarsa took up his tale.

"We accessed the personal files the Wingmen had seized and discovered that he was abducted as an eight-year-old to be the cadet of an establishment named the Sovereign Military Academy, or simply Sovereign Academy. The Academy is run by the 'Sovereign Syndicate' suspected to have a large part in the attacks and abductions targeting our youth of late. Quain graduated from the Academy three years ago and was dispatched to recapture an escaped cadet."

Thalassa raised an eyebrow and nodded for her to continue.

"We discovered that the target was Gaia," Devak said. "Largely due to the fact that she had completely vanished four years prior when she escaped with a fellow cadet. Her disappearance made the Syndicate commanders nervous about what she might be planning – however, it was precisely for this reason that she was so difficult to find. So, Quain decided to take an indirect approach in her capture. He aimed to capture Legionnaire Lightning, Gaia's fellow escapee. He hoped that this would lead him to Gaia, as they had been close friends."

"To achieve his goals he insinuated himself into Thanagarian politics," Panarsa said. "with the aim of getting into the Thanagarian delegation so he could have a legitimate reason to be present at the Ambassadorial Summit, where the Legion was scheduled to maintain a security detail. We know that he failed, escaped custody, and was murdered."

Devak cleared his throat and glanced down at his notes. Thus far the Imperial Commander had been relatively calm and neutral, her only reaction denoted by the smallest of twitches of her eyes and mouth – but this next bit of information was far closer to home for all present.

"As for his exploits while on Thanagar prior to the Summit," Devak said, once he was sure his voice would not shake from rage, "Quain had been working with Sovereign's Collectors, aiding them in kidnapping young Thanagarian children for the Academy."

The Imperial Commander drew a sharp breath, her fingers dropping to the table to clench tightly against the surface. The feathers of her wings ruffled, standing on end. "How? How did we not find this despicable –?!" She took a breath and settled down, tucking her wings back over the stool. "The more I learn about Quain Yla, the clearer it becomes to me that he is nothing more than a heartless, ruthless traitor of the lowest kind." Thalassa attempted to speak normally, but it came out in a murderous hiss.

"There's more, Commander," Devak said quietly, knowing she wouldn't like what was coming next.

"More?" Thalassa looked pained. "What more could this barbarian have done?"

Here Panarsa took over, explaining delicately, "Commander, as we investigated further, we discovered that none other than Quain Yla is responsible for the unfortunate death of your son and heir, Moran."

Thalassa gasped. Then her eyes narrowed, burning with fury. "Yla is lucky he's already dead," she said in a dark, menacing whisper.

"Please, Commander, calm yourself," Panarsa pleaded. "We can do nothing about that now."

"What we can do is aid the Legion in bringing down Sovereign, so that nothing like this can ever happen again," Devak added.

Thalassa nodded, her temper receding – for now. "How do you propose we begin?"

"I do have a suggestion." Devak cleared his throat. "After realizing that Gaia and Quain had both been abducted as children and discovering her identity –"

"You skipped that part," Thalassa noted.

"Yes, well – I contacted a friend of mine in the NWU's Astral Vanguard, Lieutenant Casimir. Gaia is an ex-field agent of the Astral Vanguard and retains power as an Honorary Astral Vanguardian. I asked Casimir for access to her private records. I spent the last week jumping through hoops, being evaluated, and peeling through bureaucratic red tape in order to do so. When I was finally permitted to view the records, I learned that her parents are Tristan Dia-Anemoi and Aminah Montaigne-Anu, both well-known figures on Ceres."

Thalassa raised her eyebrows. "They announced the birth of their daughter after they retired. Adeola."

"Adeola Montaigne-Dia," Devak finished.

"But they died, didn't they?" Thalassa recalled. "They were killed in the Tanshu Stardrome Incident in 3001. It was all over the political news."

"That's what the NWU Public Life Records would indicate, yes," Devak agreed, "but Tristan and Aminah are, in fact, alive and living in secret on Rann, in the heart of the NWU."

"Let me guess: you want to pay them a visit," Thalassa surmised. Devak smiled.

"You read my mind."

* * *

March 15th, 3011

~NWU Space, Approaching the AV Star Fortress~

* * *

Tristan Montaigne-Dia paced anxiously around the bridge of the small star cruiser as his wife calmly sat in the pilot's seat with several of her husband's animals scattered around.

"Why would Denal call us away from Worshtov? It's dangerous for us to travel too much."

Aminah remained focused, her eyes on the controls as the stars blurred around them into a long tunnel of white and blue light.

"He wouldn't do it if it wasn't urgent. He mentioned a war meeting,"

Tristan paused in his pacing. "Do you think...Sovereign?"

"Perhaps," Aminah hummed. "Don't worry – Denal would never let Adeola be captured,"

* * *

**********"**Since you've decided to involve yourself in Adeola's personal affairs, I thought it only fair that you and your assistant be invited to our war council," Astral Vanguardian Lieutenant Denal Casimir strode down the hidden corridors of the stardrome base with the ease of familiarity. He was a human male with a square jaw, a broad-shouldered muscular build. He had dark skin and dark black hair, neatly cut. "We've also taken the liberty of inviting a few of the New Metropolis Science Police and R.J. Brande, who is familiar with her friend Lightning."

Casimir had opted to call in the Montaigne-Dia parents when Devak and Panarsa approached him seeing it as an opportunity to finally get an operation years in the making underway as soon as possible

"We weren't able to find much about him – nothing we didn't already know," Devak said.

"Did you know he had a twin?"

Panarsa and Devak exchanged looks. "Ayla Ranzz is presumed deceased,"

"Incorrect," Denal said. "She is very much alive, and while this whole affair may have been engineered by Adeola and Garth, as well as two of their deceased comrades..." Devak and Panarsa exchanged looks at this new information. "Ayla is the one who influenced the revolution on Sovereign after they set it in motion, according to Adeola's information and suspicions on her friend's activities over the past several years."

"They orchestrated this?" Panarsa said, sounding as if she did not know whether or not to be angry or shocked.

"The effects seemed to have exceeded their expectations – I'm sure they expected it to be confined to Sovereign ground only, not for it to explode to encompass all worlds."

Devak and Panarsa exchanged looks. Garth and Adeola were no more than the Winathian or Ceran equivalent of teenagers now and no more than pre-teens then. They had orchestrated a rebellion based on the success of their escape?

"She gave me the important details and she's been sending information packets through psychical messengers over the last few days," Casimir explained, stopping in front of a door. "But before our war council gets underway, I think you wanted to meet someone..."

He submitted a passcode and an eyescan before the door to the meeting room opened.

The room – furnished with a round, hollow-centered table in the middle of the room and a computer circle around the walls – was already occupied. Sverrir, Yule, and their remaining apprentice, Arthur, were sitting at the table talking to two darker-skinned people and Devak was immediately reminded of Gaia – the woman had passed down her auburn hair and lithe acrobatic build down to her daughter, though her skin was noticeably darker.

The man had black hair and lighter skin, and a dark green cloak draped around his shoulders. A cat was curled up on the table at his right hand.

The five of them looked up as they entered. Yule smiled, rising to her feet and walking over to greet them.

"Ambassador Devak! It's good to see you again!"

"Likewise, Ambassador Njal," Devak said warmly as Sverrir and Arthur waved in silent greeting.

"Yule," she corrected. "And how are you, Panarsa?"

"Well, thank you."

"You must be the ambassador who went through all the trouble to look at Adeola's file," the woman interrupted, rising to her feet.

Yule stepped back as the other woman surveyed Devak.

"I am," Devak confirmed. "Sir Ambassador Devak Mal of Thanagar," he introduced.

"Aminah Montaigne-Dia," the woman said with a bow, sweeping her hand to gesture to her husband.

On cue, he responded, "Tristan Montaigne-Dia."

Devak noticed that they shared the same last name as their daughter, rather than their own two of Montaigne-Anu and Dia-Anemoi.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said genuinely.

"You know Adeola personally?" Tristan asked and Devak glanced at Sverrir and Yule before answering.

"I do. Though I can't help wondering if the Ambassadors Njal knew more about her than I did,"

"Not until Denal told us," Sverrir assured him. "She likes her secrets, it seems – Arner even yelled at her for it."

"Tell us, Ambassador," Aminah said as she reclaimed her seat. "How did you meet Adeola? Why would you expend such effort to discover her past?"

"Adeola is perhaps one of the most determined juveniles I have ever encountered," Devak explained. "She, along with the Legion, halted a building war that everyone deemed inevitable before it could reach full-scale. The projected damaged to the galaxy would have cost a massive loss of life, and with Mogo being an NWU planet aligned with two United Planet worlds, the war and the resulting politics would have dragged most of the galaxy into the crisis, seeing as everyone was taking sides in the impending conflict. But I met her when a fellow Thanagarian under the alias of Quain Yla attempted to capture her and the Legionnaire Lightning. Yla was arrested, but escaped and later found murdered. I grew concerned."

Devak and Panarsa explained the situation in detail, breezing over the things the Montaigne-Dias were already aware of – such as their daughter's participation in the protection of the Ambassadorial Summit – but mentioning her inclusion as a Legionnaire, as a nomadic officer of the Astral Vanguard, her oath-brother Lightning, and the attack on her person by Quain Yla.

"I questioned her actions," Devak confessed. "Asked her what her parents would think." Tristan and Aminah regarded him with serious expressions. "She said 'my family would be proud.'"

Tristan smiled. "We are. How is little Adi? It has been long."

"The last I spoke to her, she was quite relieved that the Neo Kobra Conspiracy was over and eager to get to the victory celebrations for Cosmic Wave."

"So she isn't consumed by battlelust," Aminah noted with relief.

"Most definitely not," Devak assured her.

"Arner keeps her in balance just like she does for him," Yule assured them.

"That is a relief," Tristan admitted, "having someone reliable watch her back,"

"You can see her again," Panarsa said.

But Tristan was shaking his head. "No, not yet. There is still too much at stake. She knows this. Sovereign must fall before we can be reunited."

"But there's no telling how long this will go on!" Yule objected. "We simply need more information on Sovereign."

"We know," said Aminah.

"We've been coordinating the movements of the Montaigne-Dia family for years now," Denal cut in. "Carefully weeding out Sovereign cells, seeking the homebase – not even Adeola could give us solid information on all of their activities. The sparse communication the family has is carefully transported; her movements and checkpoints for her family visits to Ceres are monitored with equal, if not greater, scrutiny. No one wants Sovereign to pick her up – not when they've all already sacrificed so much."

"She was forced to grow up far too quickly and we cannot treat her like a child, no matter how much we would like to," Aminah elaborated. "We have lost that chance." She drew a metal case out of her pocket and carefully handed it to Devak. "We ask that you go to assist our daughter," she requested. "Give her this. We meant to give it to her when she was twelve...but we were so overjoyed to be reunited we completely forgot. It was originally meant for her fourteenth birthday, really." Devak nodded. "Do not loose it," she warned.

"I will guard it well," he promised.

"She found us after she escaped from Sovereign, but we wanted her to have something resembling a normal life," Tristan explained, scratching the head of one of his cats. "We sent her home – but we should have realized that being in Sovereign for a long period of time under harsh, slave military conditions would make that impossible for her. We got word of her Vanguardianship shortly after she joined – we were surprised when she left shortly afterwards and then she practically vanished off our radar – but she surfaced every now and again so our Vanguardian friends could reassure us that she was alright. The only one who could tell you anything substantial about Sovereign is Adeola herself – and her friend, Lightning, I suppose,"

Devak nodded. "Then we will go to the Legion and join forces with them – that is our intent."

"But first," said Denal, "our council meeting. I'll call in our other attendants."

* * *

******End Episode 5.3  
(1) Thanagarian law enforcement – there are very few Sci-Pol outposts on Thanagar**


	17. Episode 6 Part 1: Training

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 6: Strife – Part 1: Training

_Song: Adrenalized – Immediate Music_

* * *

March 26th, 3011

_~Star Pavilion, Training Simulator; 16:17~_

* * *

"Work on your turns, XS!" Lightning yelled over the comm system.

Down in the training room, XS heard and did her best to carefully yet speedily take the turns around the obstacles that randomly popped up. Normally she would slow down marginally when changing direction, but at Lightning's suggestion, she was trying to maintain her speed even while turning.

Since coming clean about Sovereign three weeks ago, Lightning had been organizing strenuous training sessions, putting all the Legionnaires through their paces in order to prepare for the upcoming war against Sovereign. Gaia was splitting her time between the Legion and the Knights, helping Lightning train Legionnaires while aiding Eclipse and Silhouette in preparing the Knights.

"Kinetix, lift it higher!" Gaia called.

Several feet away from where XS was navigating corners, Kinetix strained her telekinetic powers to the limit as she tried to lift a heavy pile of equipment. Meanwhile, Karate Kid was training as hard as he could as a human fighting machine; Ricochet attempted to aim his bounces more accurately; and Nightsun was shooting starbolts left, right, and center.

"Okay, watch out – Sovereign coming up!" Lightning hit a button that caused simulated versions of key Sovereign operatives – Eve, Anbar, General Arn, and the Assassins (designed by Brainy with help from him and Gaia) – to appear.

In the training room, the five Legionnaires grouped together quickly to face their enemy.

Anbar struck first, with lightning that spread out in all directions. Kinetix deflected it with a shield of telekinetic energy, but didn't have time to avert the second strike, and the Legionnaires scattered.

"Workonyourturns,yourturns,yourturns…" XS dashed around to the right, then abruptly weaved back in and slammed into Mist Master – but he just vaporized into a gas that choked Kinetix.

Fortunately for the telekinetic, Karate Kid stepped in and blew the mist off her face before smashing into Lazon before he could phase, then tackling Neutrax – who was neutralizing Nightsun – to the ground. XS, picking up her cue, ran up a whirlwind and spread out Mist Master's molecules across the training room.

Nightsun, now free of Neutrax's influence, flung a big starbolt straight at Silver Slasher. While the Assassin leader's armored skin protected her from the brunt of the blast, she was still thrown backwards by the force of the impact.

Meanwhile, Ricochet cautiously circled Eve, trying to figure out what she would do. The simulated Eve smiled the same malicious smile of the real Eve, and lashed out with her telepathy.

"Rico, your mental shields!" Gaia shrieked from the control room. "Don't let her take over your mind!"

Too late.

In an effort to prevent Eve taking control of them, all the Legionnaires had been taking anti-telepathy lessons from Saturn Girl and Gaia – but none, unfortunately, were as yet proficient enough to hold out against Eve's powerful mind. With Ricochet under Eve's control, the training session quickly went downhill, and it wasn't long before Lightning sighed in frustration and ended the simulation.

"Okay, hit the showers," he told the five Legionnaires. "And keep training on your own. We need to be able to beat the simulation before we can even think of going up against the real thing."

Grumbling, sighing, and groaning, Kinetix, XS, Karate Kid, and Ricochet picked themselves up and exited the room. Nightsun spared a last forlorn glance up at the control room before following his teammates.

Lightning collapsed into his chair, shaking his head in disappointment. Gaia sighed and copied him.

"They're not ready," Lightning said resignedly. "There's no way we'll be able to take down Sovereign like this."

"Give them time," Cosmic Wave said. "We're the Legion. We can do this."

"We don't have time!" Lightning exclaimed. "Eve and Sovereign could attack any moment."

"Lightning," Saturn Girl spoke up gently, "maybe it would help if you didn't outnumber them in the simulations."

Lightning looked puzzled. "Why?" he asked. "We've fought our way through even when we were outnumbered before."

"I know," Saturn Girl conceded, "But you said it yourself – Sovereign isn't anything like we've faced before. If you outnumber us right at the start, we're not going to be able to cope."

Lightning sighed. "I see your point."

Saturn Girl sighed too, and came over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know you just want to prepare us," she said, "but maybe you need a break. Walk with me?"

Lightning smiled slightly, but it faded as soon as it appeared. "I can't," he said. "I still have three more sessions to oversee today."

"Garth…" Saturn Girl began.

Lightning turned away. "Who's next?" he asked Gaia.

Gaia consulted the training schedule. "Dream Girl, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, Ultimatum, and Gravity Star."

Lightning exhaled and turned resolutely to face the training room again. "Let's do it."

He didn't see Saturn Girl's downcast expression, nor her shared glance with Cosmic Wave, before she left the room.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Hallway; 16:46~_

* * *

Arctic paced down the hallways of Star Pavilion, grumbling under his breath. He happened to pass by a shadow on his left. While any other Legionnaire would probably have dismissed it, Arctic was also a Knight – and Knights were trained to notice shadows. He sighed.

"I know you're there," he said. "Come on out."

With a grin, Red X appeared, seemingly melting out of the wall. "Hey, Arctic."

"What are you doing here?" Arctic demanded. "How did you get past the Legion's security?"

Red X looked offended. "Please, Frosty, don't insult me. The Legion's good, but I'm a master thief."

"Big surprise," Arctic muttered. "Is anyone else here?"

"Depends what you mean by 'here'."

Arctic's eyes narrowed. "Out with it, Zace."

"Oh, fine. If you mean the Pavilion, there's only me – and you and Griffin Girl, of course. If you mean the city, there's Echo and Zephyr."

"And just what exactly are the three of you doing in New Metropolis?" Arctic questioned.

"We're keeping an eye on things."

Arctic raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment.

"So," Red X said, switching topics, "why are you lurking around the corridors muttering to yourself, anyway? I'd've thought you'd be with Gaia."

Arctic scowled. "She told me not to disturb her."

"Why?" Red X was instantly on alert. "What's she doing?"

"She's helping Lightning train the Legionnaires for the war."

"And she didn't want you with her why?"

Arctic's frown deepened. "She said – and I quote – 'You just don't understand, Arner. You weren't with me at Sovereign.'" His tone was sarcastic – and a little bitter. Red X recognized it for what it was immediately.

"Oh," he realized. "Look, Arctic, don't take it personally. You know she's under a lot of pressure right now, and she does have a point – you _weren't _at Sovereign. Gaia connects with Lightning on that matter because of their shared past, but that doesn't mean she cares any less for you."

"Lightning's her brother," Arctic pointed out.

"Who says she can only have one brother?" Red X countered. "You're her brother too – she's said so several times before."

"Yeah…" Arctic conceded slowly, "But…sometimes…sometimes it seems like Lightning's her favorite."

Red X sighed. "Okay, Arner. Let's use the Knights as an example. Do you think you care for everyone the same way?"

"Yes."

Red X raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?"

Arctic puffed out. "No," he admitted.

"Exactly," said Red X. "Family doesn't mean you love everyone the same way; it means you love them equally, but in different ways. It's impossible to love two people the exact same way. So give it time. Gaia's going through a really rough time right now, but she still cares for you. You're still her brother."

Arctic smiled a little. "Okay."

* * *

_~Somewhere in Space; 20:22 UTC~_

_(15:22 EST)_

* * *

The dark, empty vacuum of subzero temperatures that was space stretched out for light years in every direction, interrupted only rarely by the occasional planet, satellite, or asteroid.

Usually.

Today, however, there was unusual traffic, considering that this part of the galaxy was normally rather remote.

Mekt Ranzz was out in his travel pod, taking the least conspicuous route possible through the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way on his way to get another of Eve's items for her.

Mekt quite liked the lonely emptiness of space; it was a friend to solitary people, like him. With no one around him for hundreds of thousands of miles, he could think properly and relax slightly from all the pressures and burdens he carried.

"Move up the pennitate, she says," he grumbled to himself, repeating Eve's order to him the last time he'd seen her. Since then he'd been trying – and failing – to secure the explosives the Sovereign headmistress wanted – but pennitate was a highly volatile explosive, and its use was strictly controlled by the UP (the NWU didn't even use it; it was so dangerous). Mekt could only imagine what horrors Eve was planning to unleash with it.

Of course, according to Garth, if he treated it right, the pennitate wouldn't explode.

In theory.

How did his little brother even know all this stuff, anyway?

A short beep drew his attention to his navigation screen, and he exhaled. "This better be it," he muttered. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get hold of the amount of pennitate she wants?" he ranted to no one in particular as he took the gears and eased his pod into Warp 2.

Unbeknownst to him, there were two other people in that area that day – and both of them were trailing him. One of them was tall and dark-haired – and she had certain powers that enabled her to hear his complaints.

"Pennitate?" she gasped.

"My brother's getting pennitate for Eve?" demanded the other female, a ginger-haired girl with electric blue eyes.

"We can't let Eve get her hands on those," said the first, speeding up. "Come on, let's go."

And with that, Marya Pai and Ayla Ranzz followed Mekt's pod through the deep, dark reaches of space.

* * *

_End Episode 6.1_


	18. Episode 6 Part 2: Conversations

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**_

_**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**_

Episode 6: Strife – Part 2: Conversations

_Song: Get It Right – Glee_

* * *

March 26th, 3011

_~Cafeteria, Star Pavilion; 19:20~_

* * *

By the time dinner rolled around at Star Pavilion, each and every Legionnaire had been put through their paces by Lightning and Gaia. While most of them were tired, they understood the necessity of these stringent training sessions; however, a few did feel the need to vent.

"This stinks," said Sunflare. "I can't even fire on that Leviathan guy. He moves too sprocking fast."

"Well, _I_ wish I could nail Silver Slasher every once in a while," Ultimatum grumbled. "I don't see why Lightning has to push us so much."

Beside him, Phantom Girl sighed. "This is important, Jo – Lightning said they've got a huge army at their disposal and have been given orders to kill."

Ultimatum however, wasn't fazed. "So? I'll just switch on invulnerability and plow through them."

"Like what you tried to do last time?" Phantom Girl questioned. "What was it? 'Invulnera-BLAH!'" She threw her arms out in a comical gesture of mimicry, her face assuming an expression of hilarity as she exaggeratedly mimed someone throwing up.

Next to her, Colossal burst out laughing at the memory. Ultimatum scowled and rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha ha," he retorted. "It wasn't my fault Dreamer didn't warn me in time."

"You can't rely on me for everything, Ultimatum," Dream Girl pointed out from across the table.

"That's why you need to pay attention to your surroundings – isn't that what Lightning was telling you?" Phantom Girl added.

"All right, all right, I get it already." Ultimatum looked faintly put out.

Phantom Girl, however, wanted to get her point across. "I know it's hard, but you know it's necessary, Jo. You heard Lightning – Sovereign's ruthless. We have to be ready to fight them."

"Tinya's right," Umbra interjected unexpectedly. "On Talok, we train and prepare every day for wars that may or may not happen. It always does well to be ready."

"Lightning and Gaia _could_ set the difficulty level a little lower to start with, though," Ultimatum complained. "We've never faced anything like Sovereign before – they expect us to fight our way out of the most difficult situations when we've barely just started training?"

Phantom Girl stood up, a frown on her face. "Jo, can I speak with you for a bit, please?" The arrangement of her words like a question belied the firm tone she spoke them in, indicating that it wasn't a request. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her to a quiet corner.

"Look, Jo, I know we're all having a hard time with the new training program," she started, "but complaining about it isn't the way to handle it. Lightning and Gaia would know better than anybody what Sovereign's like, and they know what they're doing. And I know we'd probably find it easier to cope if they set the training level lower to begin with, but we don't know when or how Sovereign will attack, and we need to be ready for anything. So instead of complaining, maybe you could work a little harder to support Lightning."

Ultimatum held up his hands, a little surprised by his girlfriend's unexpectedly long speech. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it," he said defensively. "I'm sorry, okay?" He smiled a little. "Truce?"

Phantom Girl sighed. "Truce," she agreed. "We're all on edge, Jo."

"Don't I know it."

Just then Phantom Girl caught sight of Timber Wolf skulking his way out of the cafeteria, a guarded expression visible on his face. She frowned.

Ever since Lightning had come clean about his past with Sovereign, the furry Legionnaire had been unusually quiet – not that he was particularly talkative in the first place. But Phantom Girl noticed that he'd become more introspective lately, as if he was contemplating something that bothered him.

"Brin!" she called – but there was no response from him. Timber Wolf either didn't hear her (doubtful, with his enhanced hearing), or he chose not to answer. Phantom Girl decided it was high time someone find out what was bothering him.

"I'll see you later, okay?" she said to Ultimatum.

"Okay…" he said slowly, as she disappeared after Timber Wolf.

Deep in thought, the Rimborine walked back to the table, where the other Legionnaires had struck up a conversation topic that didn't revolve around Sovereign.

"Has anyone else noticed that Tinya spends a lot of time around the Londo kid?" he asked. The conversation paused.

"Yeah," said Sunflare. "So?"

"So," said Ultimatum, "I'm not quite sure why that is, or what I should think of it."

"She spends a lot of time with him because she helped rescue him from Rawl," Dream Girl pointed out, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. The precognitive was one of the few Legionnaires who hadn't been assigned to the Rawl mission who actually understood exactly what had happened.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Colossal challenged, still in a jovial mood from Phantom Girl's reenactment of Ultimatum's most embarrassing moment in the Legion to date.

"Of course not," Ultimatum denied as he sat down.

No, he wasn't jealous – not yet, at least – but he would be lying if he said it didn't bother him a little.

* * *

Phantom Girl caught up to Timber Wolf in the empty passageway outside the cafeteria.

"Brin?" she inquired gently. "You okay?"

Timber Wolf looked up in surprise at the concern in her voice. "Of course," he answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Phantom Girl's brow furrowed at the underlying hint of...something...in his voice. Something was obviously bothering him, and seeing how he had not seen fit to share, it was really his own fault that she resolved to coax him into confiding in her.

"You and I both know that's not true," she said. "Brin, what's wrong?"

Timber Wolf shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Nothing," he murmured unconvincingly. Phantom Girl gave him a look.

"You don't really expect me to believe that, do you? Now come on. What's the matter?" she queried in a gentler tone.

He exhaled, giving in to her persistence. Clearly, he wouldn't get a moment of peace until he surrendered to her. "Doesn't it bother you that Lightning kept such a big part of his life secret?"

Phantom Girl looked puzzled. "No; why should it?"

Timber Wolf seemed faintly annoyed. "Why _wouldn't_ it?" he countered. "I thought the Legion was supposed to be a team. A team is supposed to have_ trust,_ as Brande keeps telling me. How can we have that if there are secrets everywhere – especially secrets as big as Sovereign?"

'Oh._ Oh.'_ Phantom Girl hastened to set him straight.

"Brin, I don't think you quite understand what the Legion is about. Yes, we're a team – and yes, some secrets are better revealed – but others are our own to keep. What kind of team would we be if we didn't trust that our teammates had good reason to keep their secrets to themselves – that if the secrets affected us, they would tell us? That's what a team is, Brin – we trust each other, _despite_ our secrets. You can't seriously tell me you'd be willing to have the entire Legion know every bit about your past?"

Timber Wolf's eye twitched a little. "No, definitely not."

"See?" Phantom Girl's tone was like that of an older sibling pointing out something that she thought should be obvious to a younger child.

Timber Wolf sighed. "I'm just a little new to this 'trust' thing," he admitted. "It's just been me for a while and...people..." He huffed in annoyance. "I'm getting used to it."

Phantom Girl nodded patiently and waited.

"In the wild, it's every beast for themselves and I'm not used to people actually _caring_ about each other," Timber Wolf continued. "And then I find out someone whom I'm _starting_ to trust is hiding this _huge_ secret...I feel like that naive kid again." Admittedly he was surprised by how much of himself he was revealing to Phantom Girl.

Phantom Girl, meanwhile, had apparently caught on to the implication in his tone, and she sighed. "I'd say you're being silly about this," she began, waving a hand when Timber Wolf glared. "But you're not. Everyone has their problems and their little...personal tragedies. We're just here to find our way and make the future. Trust me, not all people are cruel, sadistic bastards."

Timber Wolf grinned at her word choice.

"Besides," she added, "you're doing much better than Brainy thought you would."

Timber Wolf gave her a half-amused, half-bitter look. "What, did he think I was gonna go berserk and assault everyone when I have a panic attack?" There was a hint of wry humor in his tone.

"Of course not!" Phantom Girl protested, looking outraged that he'd suggested such a thing. "But they – well, Brainy – he thought that...you'd be more...what was the word...? Ah ha! Introverted, inwardly-focused, not very social. Revert back to the way you were before. Brainy says it's a good sign that you've adjusted so well…and that you're actually talking to Anna in ways that don't involve just grunting to her whenever she asks a question."

"Hnnh."

Phantom Girl smiled. "Look, if it bothers you so much, why don't you talk to Lightning about it? I'm sure he'd want you to tell him what's worrying you – especially if it's because of his secret."

"With everything he's got on his plate lately?" Timber Wolf asked skeptically. "I don't think so. He's got enough to worry about without having to take care of problems within the team too."

"There _will_ be problems if you don't resolve your issues with this," Phantom Girl predicted darkly. "Communication is essential in a team, Brin – it's what makes us work. At least think about it."

Timber Wolf took a few moments to consider. "I'll see if I still need to," he decided. "I'm feeling a little bit better about this after this..." he paused, searching for the right word. "...chat." A smile that wasn't quite a smile but was trying to be one appeared on his face. "Thanks, Tinya."

She returned his smile. "Anytime, Brin."

At that moment, an alarm rang out through Star Pavilion, alerting the Legionnaires to an attack on the city.

_"Attention, all Legionnaires,"_ Lightning's voice echoed from the PA system. _"Leviathan is attacking Hobb's Ferry Docks. Strike Team Bravo, this is yours. I'll meet you at the scene. Lightning out."_

Phantom Girl cursed under her breath. As part of the Legion's new home defense system, organized by Gaia, all Legionnaires in Star Pavilion were divided into teams of four, named after certain letters of the nautical alphabet. This made responses to threats on their home base quicker and easier to organize, as Mission Control only had to identify the team, and not individual Legionnaires. Phantom Girl just happened to be on the Bravo team, which meant she had to go deal with Leviathan, along with Colossal, Invisible Kid I, and Umbra – and apparently Lightning too.

"I've gotta go," she uttered hastily to Timber Wolf as she sank through the floor.

_'Time to see if all that training's done any good,'_ she thought to herself.

* * *

_End Episode 6.2_


	19. Episode 6 Part 3: Bayside Battle

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Peonywinx_  
_Edited by Mirror's Mirage and Dranzer's Inferno_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga_

Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1

Episode 6: Strife – Part 3: Bayside Battle

_Song: King's Legion – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

March 26th, 3011

_~New Metropolis, Hobb' Ferry Docks, Hell's Gate Island; 19:47~_

* * *

A wave of water, much larger than could be considered normal, swelled over the bay, rocking the ferries and drawing several terrified screams from the passengers aboard. One or two children lost their balance on the shaking boats and fell overboard, much to their parents' dismay.

"Jayce!" one distraught mother screamed, as her son sank beneath the waves. "Jayce!"

The young boy resurfaced, gulping down air as he flailed his limbs in a valiant attempt to stay afloat before he settled into a dog-paddle. His mother heaved a sigh of relief, knowing he could swim well enough to get to shore. But then a blue-scaled, half-fish sort of creature broke the surf beside Jayce, and pulled the unfortunate boy under again, eliciting more frightened screams from his mother.

"JAYCE!"

Suddenly, Jayce burst out of the water and soared into the air, held up by seemingly nothing. Then Invisible Kid I materialized, and it could be seen that he was holding the boy up. A split second later Leviathan resurfaced, evading the darkfields – blacker than the night sky – that Umbra was hurling at him. As more Legionnaires appeared to fight Leviathan, Jacques deposited Jayce safely beside his mother and took off to help his teammates.

"Hello, Adeola," said Leviathan with a light smile as he spotted the ex-Sovereign cadet hovering above him. "Garth."

Lightning balled his hand into a fist, causing a sphere of electricity to blossom over his curled fingers. "It's Lightning," he growled, raising his fist threateningly.

Leviathan, however, was unfazed. "You're not going to do that here," he said confidently. "If you miss, that bolt's going to hit the water, which would endanger everyone in the area."

Lightning scowled. "I have backup," he reminded Leviathan as he held Gaia back from her attempt to lunge forwards.

Without warning, Colossal grew to about half his full height and plucked Leviathan out of the water. But before he could place the fish-man on land, where they had the advantage against him, Leviathan whipped his long tail up so it curled over Colossal's arm and slapped down hard, forcing the Legionnaire to drop him back into the water.

It was five Legionnaires plus Gaia against one villain, but Leviathan was more than capable of fighting them all. He ignored Phantom Girl's attempts to unbalance him and dove under the water, twisting it around himself as he propelled through the bay. Then he burst out of the water again and torpedoed directly into Jacques, knocking the wind out of him as a darkfield erupted behind them.

Both Sovereign agent and Legionnaire plunged under the water. Then Leviathan came back up, flicking his tail mockingly and diving again, avoiding Colossal's swipe.

"Jacques!" Phantom Girl dove after the sinking Legionnaire while Gaia sliced under the water and slammed hard into Leviathan as she soul-shifted into an electric eel. Leviathan thrashed out of her grip and swiped his tail, forcing water to condense around the Sovereign runaway. Colossal plucked her out of the water as Leviathan broke the surface again, just peeking above the water.

A sudden blackness obscured his vision, and Leviathan turned around blindly, trying to locate Umbra. A solid punch to his jaw disoriented him further. Just as his vision adjusted slightly to the pitch dark of Umbra's field, she dropped it, revealing Lightning's electrically-charged fist right in front of his eyes. Leviathan immediately ducked and thrashed his tail in the water, causing liquid to well up behind him until it swallowed him completely.

"Where did he go?" Phantom Girl asked, as they scanned the now-calm water for any sign of the Sovereign agent.

Her question was answered seconds later when Leviathan exploded from the water and whacked her across the bay in one powerful swipe of his tail.

"Tinya!" Umbra cried, going after her to catch her before she could fall into the water and be injured further.

Gaia, her eyes flashing, whipped around to face Leviathan, who had dropped back into the water and was circling lazily. "And here I thought you weren't as twisted as Anbar!" she said scathingly.

Leviathan froze at the accusation; his distraction lasted only a second, but it was long enough for the enraged Ceran to soul-shift into an elephant and crash straight into him, dropping from the air with several tons added to her slight frame. Leviathan smashed into the docks, just a few yards away from dry land. Colossal took this opportunity to push him completely onto the shore – and gave him a few punches for good measure.

Now that Lightning was finally able to attack without fear of hurting any innocent bystanders, he immediately seized his chance.

"All right, stand back," he ordered, charging up. Everyone backed away from the winded Leviathan – except Gaia, who positioned herself between Lightning and Leviathan with a look in her eyes that Lightning knew well.

"Double attack?" he offered, even as he brought his hands together in one big sizzling electric ball.

Gaia smiled. "You read my mind." The transparent bronze form of a sabeligar – a lightning tiger with sabretooth fangs – wisped into being at her side just as Lightning threw his bolt straight at her.

Gaia jerked a little from the force, but it didn't hurt in this form. The sabeligar took the lightning, swirled it with its own electricity reserves, and hurled them all at Leviathan, who didn't quite manage to get out of the way in time. Leviathan roared as the magnified bolt grazed him, and headed straight for the water again, bowling over a normal-sized Colossal before sinking into the waves of the bay.

"Is he gone?" Invisible Kid asked. He peered into the dark waters.

"For now," Lightning said. "How's Phantom Girl, Umbra?"

"She needs to get to the med bay ASAP," Umbra replied, supporting an unconscious Phantom Girl. "I think she might have a concussion and a couple of fractured ribs."

"Then let's go," said Lightning.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Level 9, Mission Hub; 20:20~_

* * *

Timber Wolf struggled to concentrate on his assigned task – sorting through information – but he hardly had the patience or the fully-operational language skills to read little Interlac characters, and the glow of the screen in the dark Information Hub made his eyes burn. His literacy skills were better than they were a few months ago, but he still had problems with large paragraphs – it didn't help that a certain member of the Legion had a proclivity to write them.

Also, Cham and Kono kept whispering and he could hear every word. Why was Kono so fascinated with other people's business? She was making Cham an even _more_ annoying person!

"You can adjust the size of the screen," Nightsun said quietly from across the table, knowing he could hear.

_Oh._ Timber Wolf nodded in thanks and glanced down at it, wondering how to do just that. Nightsun was about to tell him when Wolf's head jerked up sharply and Cham's antenna twitched.

Backlash and Nemesis Kid – who had been largely unmoving – looked up.

"What is it?"

Several floors above them, Timber Wolf's sensitive ears picked up a clatter of metal, wheels rushing along in hurry, Umbra's enraged growls...and the stutter of a pulse.

He'd shot to his feet and damaged the chair attached to the floor before remembering that it wasn't a normal chair. Kono winced.

"Wolf?" Cham asked, sounding worried.

"Phantom Girl." He barged out of the room, nearly running into the doors; but COMPUTO opened them just in time. The others – except Nightsun – stood too; but Nemesis Kid shook his head.

"You'll crowd them. Don't worry; the medics and Brainy will take care of her."

* * *

Timber Wolf followed the source of the noise to the correct level, relying on beeping instructions from COMPUTO to get there. He was startled when he stepped out of the turbo-lift to find the gurney rushing right past him with Lightning, Umbra, Ultimatum, and Gaia acting as the injured Phantom Girl's escort.

Gaia was floating directly over the unconscious Bgztlian, her hands shimmering with golden light and flowing around Phantom Girl's prone form; Timber Wolf immediately jumped into help.

"What happened?" he demanded in concern, as they continued their rush to the infirmary. He threw a strange glance at Gaia. "What is _she_ doing?"

"Leviathan threw her halfway across the bay, that's what happened," Umbra replied, seething. "He's gonna wish he didn't when I get my hands on him."

"Gaia can heal," Lightning explained when the Ceran appeared to completely ignore Timber Wolf. "She's just making sure the worst of it doesn't get worse."

"Is Brainy in the med bay?" Ultimatum asked, never taking his eyes off Phantom Girl.

"With Shrinking Violet," Lightning assured him. "She'll be fine, Ulti."

Ultimatum nodded curtly. "Yeah, sure." His face darkened. "This Leviathan guy sure won't be, though. He'd better _hope_ he doesn't meet me before Umbra gets him."

Timber Wolf just frowned and said nothing, avoiding everyone's gaze, but inwardly he was seething too. Phantom Girl had become the only one he considered to be a best friend; he couldn't recall ever having one before Rawl – he supposed in some way his father had been like a best friend to him (before he turned into a sadist) but it wasn't like having one around the same age as he was.

Phantom Girl was one of those who had seen him at his worst but still didn't give up on him; she'd seen more in him besides a savage monster, even though they'd been strangers at the time. She seemed to understand him the most and helped him adjust to the 'normal' life of a super-powered teen. She was the one who was easiest for him to talk to out of everyone in the Legion, including the other four Legionnaires who saved him on Rawl and whom he was also close to. He didn't know what he'd do if she was injured badly enough to put her life in danger.

Timber Wolf had never seen a Legionnaire beaten this badly before, and he growled in anger. His fists clenched themselves of their own accord, his claws digging into his palms, and his fangs bared as he imagined shredding this Leviathan person with his bare hands, ripping into his flesh with his teeth.

When they reached the med bay, the mechanical doors opened automatically to admit them, and Phantom Girl's gurney was rushed inside, along with her escort – all but one.

The second the doors opened, Timber Wolf's nose was assaulted by the hospital scents – the metallic tinge of medical machinery and the acidic burn of Brainy's antibiotic of choice, as well as other variations of drugs and sedatives, some familiar to him and others not so much. He froze just outside the door while the others surged inside, and no one noticed that he stayed behind.

Timber Wolf shook his head and growled. Tinya was his best friend; he wasn't going to let his fear of hospitals from past experiences prevent him from staying by her side. Determined and resolute, he started to push forward into the infirmary again – but an involuntary gasp escaped him as he tried to take the steps. The doors closed in front of him, blocking his view of the scene inside (although he could more or less guess what it looked like – Brainy shouting orders, Ultimatum blustering worriedly, Violet rushing around, etc. etc.) – and try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to press the pad to open them again. No matter how hard he attempted to lift his fingers to the controls, he just wasn't able to.

Finally, after admitting his defeat to his phobia, Timber Wolf felt a fresh wave of anger towards himself for being so cowardly, and started to growl before spinning around and slamming both his fists onto the wall. The force of the impact left two cracked dents there, and some plaster fell out.

Once he calmed down a little he leaned against the wall and resigned himself to an agonizing wait. His chest heaved with impotent rage, little puffs of breath grinding raggedly through his lungs, and hot blood pounded fast through his veins.

_Why am I so_ weak_?!_ he thought resentfully.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Level 9, Medical Ward; 20:34~_

* * *

"How is she?" Ultimatum inquired anxiously as Brainy placed two sure fingers on Phantom Girl's neck to check her pulse and Shrinking Violet monitored the vital machines. (Once assured that the worst of Phantom Girl's injuries weren't going to kill her, Gaia had gone to the Hub to communicate with the team still combing the bay in the hope of finding any trace of Leviathan.)

"She has a concussion and two cracked ribs, but her vitals are stable and her body is strong," Brainy responded. "I've already given her a dose of antibiotics as well as a capsule of organic healing nanites, so she'll be fine within a month or so. No lasting harm done."

Ultimatum visibly relaxed at that, and Umbra's and Lightning's sighs of relief were audible. "Thank goodness." He gently wrapped his fingers around Phantom Girl's limp hand.

The doors opened with a swish, permitting Ultimatum a short view of Timber Wolf pacing outside; however, he didn't have time to dwell on that before Gaia entered, followed by Arctic, who was as frosty as ever. His brow was currently furrowed in a scowl that bespoke not just annoyance, but also deep thought.

"No sign of Leviathan anywhere," Gaia reported. "He just up and vanished."

"Luckily, he didn't manage to take any kids with him," Arctic added.

"Leviathan's attack on the ferries is bad," Gaia spoke up. "He was clearly after the children. You know what that means." Her last sentence was directed straight at Lightning, who nodded grimly.

"They're recruiting," he said. "Only now they're expanding their range to include Earth, and not just planets whose residents are well-known to have a superpower."

"They've never recruited so heavily before," said Gaia. "At least, not as far as I know. This must mean they're experiencing some sort of turmoil back on Guruhi."

Lightning lifted his head to stare at Gaia. "You don't think…" he began.

"Yeah, I do. What other reason could there be?"

"What?" Umbra demanded.

Lightning, however, remained oblivious to the Talokian's query. "But if that's true…" he started, "then that means…"

"That there's a rebellion happening?" Gaia finished. "What, is it not obvious to you?"

Lightning scowled at her and sighed. "Never mind..."

"A rebellion? On Guruhi?" Arctic inquired, looking from Gaia to Lightning.

"By whom?" Shrinking Violet questioned.

"There's only one possible answer to that." Gaia smiled, her first real smile in days, startling them. "The Outriders have made their move. And so has Ayla."

* * *

_End Episode 6.3_


	20. Episode 7 Part 1: Warning Signs

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Philosophizes_  
_Edited by Mirror's Mirage, Peonywinx, and Dranzer's Inferno_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_**Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga**_

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 7: Price of Loyalty – Part 1:Warning Signs

_Song: Impending Fate – Veigar _

* * *

March 28th, 3011

_~Mekt's Shuttle, near Galatea, Neptune; 17:20 UTC~_

_(13:20 EST)_

* * *

Mekt slammed the throttle on his shuttle forward, then remembered the lessons of his unfortunately-burdened life and yanked it back. If he shot away from the supply depot like his adrenaline rush was telling him to, he would just look even more suspicious than he was going to in _three...two...one..._

The airless void of space kept the station alarms from carrying into the cockpit, but the sudden activity and the highly illegal signal-scanner on the console told him what his ears were missing.

Someone had noticed the missing load of pennitate – which was currently sitting in his minimal cargo hold, soaking in a delicately-balanced chemical bath.

Mekt steadied his breathing and let the shuttle accelerate gently towards the warp gate, hitting the hole in space at exactly the right moment.

In the cargo hold, the chemical bath contraption shuddered slightly, and a thin plastic hose slipped one millimeter out of alignment.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, South Tealboro Playground~_

* * *

"That sounds like what Mama always tells me," the little girl said, forehead wrinkling in confusion. "I know that."

"But it's more important," a slightly-older girl insisted, eyes wide. "Weren't you listening?"

"They won't catch me!" a boy boasted, and most of the rest of the cluster of children nodded in agreement.

"This is different," Arctic told all the children sternly. One of the local schools had let out for the afternoon, and he was currently seated on the swing of a playset – with some kids on the other seats and some sitting on the ground – lecturing the little ones on proper safety. "They'll snatch you up anywhere – out of your house, walking to school, here on the playground – and they'll hurt you and make you fight each other, and they won't care at all for what you think."

"They don't care already anyway," one of the older children muttered.

"Your parents care," Arctic said.

"That's what they all say."

Arctic raised an eyebrow. "So you'd rather be kidnapped and beaten and starved instead of being told when to go to bed or to school?"

"Starved?" whimpered someone in the back. Arctic nodded. A few of the smaller children burst into tears.

"Ah – hey, hey!" Arner said, gently picking up the nearest crying child. "It's okay, it's okay. We – the Legion – will protect you. We don't want Sovereign to so much as look at any of you. We'll get rid of them, we'll drive them off and send them to jail, and they'll never hurt anyone again. But we could use some help – which means we need you all to try to stay safe, and be a little more careful than usual until we catch the bad guys, okay?"

He looked at them all, again, and hugged the child in his arms a little. "I don't want to see any of you hurt."

* * *

M51963_, Deep Space Star Cruiser, near Galatea, Neptune; 17: 51 UTC~_

_(13:51 EST)_

* * *

Ayla Ranzz, codename Voltage, leaned back in the cockpit of the tiny craft she shared with her current partner and fellow Outrider Dragonwing, drumming her fingers on the console in agitation. Her ginger hair had been cut boyishly short, whereas Dragonwing had pinned her long, flame-red locks up. Like her partner, Ayla wore a dark blue suit outfitted with some light armor. The only individualistic touch she had was the neon blue lightning that seemed to course around the suit over the shoulders, arms, and legs – Dragonwing had fire motifs instead.

Ayla's thoughts were a jumble of confused emotions. Why would Mekt steal pennitate like that? Why would he go over to Sovereign like that? Didn't he know what they were like? Didn't Garth tell him, after he ended up in New Metropolis? Were her brothers even speaking?

She didn't want to give too much consideration to that last thought. She remembered how they used to fight when they were all younger – it was always the same: a disagreement, yelling, then a few hours of the silent treatment until she or her parents could force the two to make up. Years of silent treatment was just too much to consider. They were family – even if what Mekt was doing was entirely unforgivable.

Dragonwing sped the ship up slightly and angled into the warp gate just seconds after Mekt went through. Voltage squinted into the warped space, trying – and failing, as always – to keep track of the craft in front of her. A few seconds later, both ships dropped back down into real space.

"This guy's your brother, right?" Dragonwing asked suddenly. Voltage nodded absently. "Crazy family you've got, Ayla," her partner replied, switching on the cloaking devices.

The other girl snorted softly. "You have_ no_idea."

The ship's console beeped. "Incoming," they chorused. Dragonwing shot Voltage an amused smile before craning her neck all around, trying to spot the new arrival.

"Marya, there!" Voltage said, pointing off to the left.

Her partner whistled, impressed. "Fancy ship, whoever it is."

Voltage leaned forward in her seat and squinted. "Wait – my brother's docking with them!"

Dragonwing bit back what she was going to say and pushed the ship immediately into full speed.  
"We're not losing this guy."

* * *

Mekt looked up in alarm as his proximity sensors went off. _Where did that ship come from?_he thought, slightly panicked.

His console beeped. The other ship was hailing him.

"Ranzz," a static-filled voice said over the link. "You have the cargo?" The voice sounded familiar, but it was a little hard to tell with the interference.

"Wh–"

"Silver Slasher, Ranzz. Into the landing bay, now."

Mekt bit the inside of his mouth and tried to remember to breathe. _No, no, no, NO – this is _bad_..._  
He took a deep breath. Don't. Panic._ Garth, I swear I will _kill _you when I get out of this!_

"Just a second. What are you here for?"

"Eve Aries needs the pennitate early," Silver Slasher said, sounding impatient. "Hurry it up, Ranzz."

"Fine, okay."

Mekt cut the link and considered bailing – but the Assassin's ship was too close, and there was no way he'd be able to get back to the warp gate before they blew him to pieces or just dragged him into the landing bay.

_I can stall,_ he told himself. _I'm good at lying. And distraction. I can do this. I can _do_ this. _He flew towards the open door of the bay, into the belly of the Assassin's ship.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, South Tealboro Playground~_

* * *

Arner watched as the last pair of parents came to pick up their child, exchanging friendly greetings – the parents knew him best as 'that nice young man at the playground'. They all knew by now that he was Arctic (from the Legion) – or at least, their children did; and he didn't for one second believe that not a single of them had said that their occasional babysitter was a superhero – and none of them seemed to mind.

_They probably feel safer knowing that I'm the one here with their children,_ he thought to himself as he stood and stretched out his legs_. I know I'd feel better leaving some kid of mine with Gaia than just hiring somebody out of an ad._

His legs were still a bit stiff and he had plans for the rest of the afternoon – mostly hunting down the older children, who would be out of school in a few hours and who would then, as he well knew by now, hang out in various places, avoiding going home and getting any work done.  
That was fine by him, so long as it was turned in on time.

Arner settled into an easy walking pace and rambled along the more pedestrian streets of New Metropolis, headed down no particular route to get to his destinations.

* * *

Dragonwing jumped out of the cockpit of the small craft she had been piloting and landed lightly in the shadows of the docking bay. Voltage clambered out after her and peered over the top of a crate. Dragonwing pulled at her pant leg.

"Come _on_, Ayla!" she hissed quietly. "We need to get somewhere else before they figure out we're here!"

"I'm not just leaving my brother like this!" Ayla retorted, whispering angrily. "I want to know what he's doing! He's got to know better than this – I know he's a better person than this!"

The doors to the landing bay slid open, and Dragonwing tackled Voltage to the ground as silently as she could, using her body weight to keep her partner down, one hand clamped over her mouth.

* * *

Mekt watched from his cockpit as the door connecting the landing bay to the rest of the ship slid open.

_Mist Master and Titania. Okay, no one too tricky. It's Neutrax and Silver Slasher I really have to worry about. Neither of these guys are real planners, even if Mist Master _is_ second-in-command._

He took a deep breath to steady himself and exited the ship before they reached him. _No point in giving them an excuse to get on the ship. I just need to keep them off it until the pennitate's done bathing, and then unload it myself. No worries, no problem._

_No problem at all._

He stood nonchalantly, his weight evenly balanced, hands tucked into his pockets. "So, what's the deal with the timetable acceleration?" he asked.

"None of your business," said Titania, just as Mist Master replied: "The Thanagarian is making a sudden move. We've got to stop him before he can damage everything."

Titania glared at him. "Come on, Ranzz," she ordered, turning on her heel and stomping out.

_Team tension, huh?_ Mekt thought to himself as he half-consciously followed the Assassins out of the dock._ I should be able to make use of that. And what Thanagarian?_

They were close to the ship's control center when Mist Master started talking again.

"We were going to intercept the Thanagarian's ship when we realized that you were barely a few light-years out of our way. We made a little detour and picked you up."

Mekt nodded absently, absorbed in his thoughts.

Mist Master paused just before the door to the control center. "Right, that reminds me – Titania, go unload the pennitate."

That brought Mekt's attention completely back to his immediate situation.

* * *

Arctic's second stop of the day was a local shop, where the regular patrons and cashiers knew him well. He gave one of his usual safety lectures – this one on the dangers of Sovereign and keeping their children close – while getting his groceries.

He caught a flicker of amber light in the alley across the street through the store windows . By the time he was done with his lecture and had checked out, the light was gone. Arctic narrowed his eyes.

* * *

J7-253,_ Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser, near Galatea, Neptune~_

* * *

Voltage stared at the door to the rest of the Assassins' ship.

"They just...and – and Mekt – he just..."

Dragonwing clapped a hand to her shoulder and tugged her gently towards her brother's transport.

"You haven't seen him in a while, Voltage. He must have changed. Let's go get that pennitate."

"He didn't resist or _anything_," Voltage said.

Dragonwing sighed a little at the hurt, sad tone in her voice and slung her whole arm around her partner's shoulders. She hugged her close for a moment before pulling her purposefully towards Mekt's abandoned ship.

* * *

He was helping a group of women weed the local community garden and discussing proper safety procedures against Sovereign with them when he spotted a slight movement – again.

This time, he caught sight of a silhouetted figure. Arctic started to wonder if he was being followed – but was it by a tag team or one person?

"Something wrong?" one of the young women asked.

He shook his head. "No," he said, as he stood and brushed off his pants. "And I like your idea about the azaleas – I think you should get some pink ones."

* * *

_~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the _Hawkwing_, near Ophelia, Uranus~_

* * *

Nothing exciting was happening.

Devak Mal sighed and leaned back in his seat, going over the meeting in his mind. The two Science-Police officers who had attended it were far more professional and helpful than many of the New Metropolis Science-Police who spent a great deal of time hating the Legion for stealing their jobs. He still wished that Aminah and Tristan had consented to traveling to Earth with them, but he supposed nine years of hiding had made them a bit paranoid – they wanted to be absolutely sure it was safe to see their daughter. It looked like it was going to be a bit longer before he could properly put a smile on Gaia's face.

Panarsa's hand collided with the conference table so hard it shook and the noise jerked Devak out of his thoughts.

"Get out," she said calmly once she had her employer's attention.

"Excuse me?" Devak sat up in his chair and received a piercing glare from his assistant.

"Poring over these charts when you're not even looking at them is pointless. Go do something constructive." She pointed at the door.

Sighing wearily, Devak rose from his chair and made for the door. "Who's the boss here? Me or you?"

Panarsa let a smile quirk at her lips as she picked up a datapad and pushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Just go."

He stood, defeated, and walked towards the door. "Don't forget your armor, Panarsa," he reminded her before leaving. The assistant looked down at herself and sighed.

* * *

The pilot, navigator, and co-pilot – two women and a man – looked up as Devak entered the bridge.

"Anything?" he asked.

"No, sir. No interference; we have clear path to Earth and we should arrive in about twelve hours."

The Ambassador sighed and sat down in the Commander's Chair.

"You need anything in particular, Sir Ambassador?" the navigator asked.

"No – Panarsa simply ejected me from the conference room."

The crew exchanged looks hiding smiles and left the Ambassador to his own thoughts - when he stared into the ceiling, it was obvious he didn't want to do much talking.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, BJ's Café, South Tealboro~_

* * *

At the local Sci-Pol coffee hangout, Arctic looked up from his coffee and glared across the street.  
This was getting irritating. _Clearly_, the person trailing him was not well-versed in stalking, because it was _quite_obvious that he or she was currently running for a new hiding spot – though the figure was a little too far away for him to make out any details.

He stood up and set his cup down a little too hard on the table, startling three of the junior SP officers who made this café so profitable.

"What's wrong, Arctic?"

"See that?" he asked them, pointing.

They turned to look at the indistinct figure trying unsuccessfully to hide behind a dip in the roof of the building across the street.

"This is a textbook example of 'What _Not_to do When Tailing Someone'."

He put a credit chip on the café table. "You guys have fun. Remember to study for your promotion exams."

"We can help..." one of the Junior Officers started to say.

"No, I've got it. Don't worry – I _promise_not to destroy anything."

The other people seated at the café table looked startled as Arctic stepped back under the shade of the umbrella and vanished in a haze of warping shadows, leaving his groceries behind.

* * *

_End Episode 7.1_


	21. Episode 7 Part 2: Battle Joined

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
Written by Philosophizes and Mirror's Mirage  
Edited by Peonywinx and Dranzer's Inferno

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 7: Price of Loyalty – Part 2: Battle Joined

Song: Cataclysmic Clash – Veigar

* * *

March 28th, 3011

~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser J7-253, Cargo Bay, near Galatea, Neptune; 19:00 UTC~

_(15:00 EST)_

* * *

Dragonwing and Voltage snuck up to Mekt's parked ship, carefully trying to stay hidden behind maintenance equipment and the few cargo crates the Assassins already had on board. Both of them dove for the ship controls at once.

"No, no, no, no, no," Voltage hissed, trying to short-circuit the door and failing. Electric-proof. "Mekt, why did you have to pick now to start remembering to lock the doors behind you?"

"Scoot over," Dragonwing ordered, pushing her aside. She took a deep breath and blew forcefully onto the lock – the air came out green, and where it touched the metal and synthetics of the hull, the material ran and started to smell.

Voltage tried to wave the fumes away, but ended up wafting them into her face instead. She coughed violently as Dragonwing stuck her fingers in her mouth and then managed to bury them into the material of the door. She pulled, but barely managed to get an inch-wide crack between the door and the frame.

"Voltage!"

Her partner tried to ignore the slight burn in her eyes and stuck her hands into the gap as far as they would go, pushing as Dragonwing pulled. Together, they forced their way in.

"That was so obvious," Voltage moaned as they headed for the ship's tiny cargo hold.

"Doesn't matter," Dragonwing told her. "We get the pennitate and get out, that's what matters. In here." The two of them ducked into the hold and stared. "What in Valor's name is he doing to it?" Dragonwing asked, mostly to herself. "Look at all this!" She stepped closer and started pulling apart tubes and thin wire supports. "Come on, Voltage – help out here."

Voltage didn't move – she had recognized the components and was now frowning at them. But it's set up all wrong...is he trying to enhance the explosive power or decrease it?

* * *

~New Metropolis, Alley behind BJ's Café, South Tealboro~

* * *

Arctic reappeared in the alley behind the building where his stalker was hiding. He knocked over a few empty boxes – just enough to make some noise – and started ambling off, hands in his pockets, in the direction of the mostly-abandoned warehouse and shipyards area between the Tealboro Old City bridges, on the far side of Market Plaza.

He kept track of the person tailing him in his peripheral vision and wandered into one of the condemned warehouses, once a haven for pickpockets working the Plaza but abandoned since part of the roof had fallen in.

The Knight dematerialized himself to a spot just to the side of the door and lurked, waiting for his stalker to force their way through the debris and into the building.

A man walked through and Arctic pounced.

The man turned, jabbed his fist into Arctic's stomach, and used the Knight's momentum to pivot and send him skidding across the floor. Arctic gasped as he felt a current of electricity surge through his body, disorienting him.

No! He tried to access his shadow crest telepathy functions, but his nerve cells were vibrating madly from the electric shock. He gave up on it and concentrated on getting his brain to focus.

Arctic slammed into a broken support beam as his attacker struck out again; the powerful hit sent him flying. Arctic reviewed the face he'd finally caught sight of in his head; a sense of foreboding dread materialized in the pit of his stomach when a pair of eyes and two crystalline blades sparked with amber lightning.

_Gaia is going to kill me when I get back. I've just attacked Anbar._

* * *

~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the Hawkwing, near Ophelia, Uranus; 21:18 UTC~

_(17:18 EST)_

* * *

_I certainly hope the Legionnaires are doing well._

"Sir."

_It will be good to see Gaia again – and getting news of her parents will be a blessing for her._

"Sir! We've found something!"

_It's a shame her mother couldn't give her this gift in person, though. It's been entirely too long since they've seen each other._

"SIR! There's an unidentified ship closing on our port side!"

Devak Mal finally noticed the navigator vying for his attention. "Wha–oh, yes. Unidentified, you say?"

"They're not displaying their flag, sir. I'm trying to get a reading on their tag, but it's starting to shape up into a classic case of 'Pirate Sneak Attack'."

"Try hailing them before we do something incredibly stupid, like firing on them without any probable cause," Devak instructed, getting out of his chair and moving to the navigator's display. "The Munitions Captain we've been saddled with is a little trigger-happy. I don't want to cause any incidents."

He paused for a moment and tapped into the ship's intercom. "All personnel, full armor. We may have a fight on our hands."

* * *

~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser J7-253, Cargo Bay, Mekt's Shuttle, near Ophelia, Uranus~

* * *

Titania entered the cargo hold again and stalked towards Mekt's ship.

"Go unload the pennitate, Titania," she muttered sarcastically to herself, mocking Mist Master's commands to her. "You're so big and strong, Titania. Go do all the grunt work, Titania."

She reached the ship and stopped, staring. It had not been this mangled before.

A smile spread across the Assassin's face.

"Go _kill_ some people for us, Titania."

* * *

~New Metropolis, the Docklands, West Tealboro; 17:59 EST~

* * *

Arctic barely managed to create an ice barrier before an explosion of lightning blew him backwards. He skidded into the shadows of the crumbling building and realized that another bolt of lightning was hurtling towards him. He managed to shadowphase out of the way just before its light extinguished the darkness.

_Now I know why Eclipse and Silhouette like those capes._ Arctic knew he had to find a way out of this battle, and fast. Being a Knight meant having to stay in peak physical condition – but even an Interplanetary Games athlete would start get tired after three hours of constant running, shadowphasing, and fighting.

Arctic dropped onto a beam and jumped as a scythe of electricity cut through the air – Anbar had finally caught up with him. The force of the explosion propelled his body outwards. A cry tumbled from his lips as he caught a crumbling beam, flipping and sliding down to the floor. Dust billowed up and Arctic pulled up his scarf around his mouth, coughing.

"I guess tailing people isn't my forte," Anbar noted, walking towards his target. "I thought you'd be going to meet your precious partner." Anbar shifted his stance, raising his bladed tonfa before him.

"Is that a hint of jealousy?" Arctic coughed. He straightened, positioning himself in a ready stance with both hands open and extended before him. "You lonely, Anbar? Too bad – you're not going anywhere near her, got that?"

Anbar's eyes widened a little. Then he smiled, laughing under his breath.

Arctic glared at him. "You find something amusing?"

"You think she trusts you? You think she cares about you?" Anbar mocked. "We don't care about anyone. It's survival of the fittest, and Mountain Bird is the best at the game – 'sides me, of course. Garth's pathetic at it."

"Her name is Gaia,and she isn't like you!"

A sudden barrage of ice crystals rained down on Anbar and he raised his arms to protect himself, creating a shield of lightning. The frozen shards pinged off, melting and creating little drifts of snow on the floor. The temperature of the room dropped steeply as more ice began to crawl across the floor.

"You don't know her!"

Anbar scoffed. "You're pathetic." He slashed the air with his lightning blades and frowned as the electricity crackled and faded away. The fog was becoming thicker as the ice kept growing. Anbar growled, lightning flashing through his eyes. "I know her better than you do. You didn't fight her. You didn't see her grow up. Besides...if she'd give up her life for anyone, it'd be Garth. Not you."

The sun was setting quickly, shadows creeping across the floor of the condemned warehouse. Arctic took the opportunity to disappear into the shadows instead of replying to Anbar's jabs.

"So, all better now?" the Glacheren's disembodied voice mocked – the shadows were back, and Arctic had the advantage. "I would've thought water would kill you and put you out of our misery!"

"Coward!"

An explosion of lightning destroyed a portion of the ice field – but then the ice field began to grow upwards, forming frosty spires. It stopped a moment, trembled, and then the ice spires began to grow larger and branch out, producing frozen spikes and swooping slides. Anbar angrily destroyed one of the spires.

"It's takes more than water or ice to kill me!"

An icy fist suddenly connected with his back. Anbar whirled, his blade cutting through the air. Arctic ducked and slid under his arm, executing a cartwheel. He landed, skidding backwards on his feet and clasping his hands together. Ice rapidly condensed around Anbar, encasing him in a frozen prison. By the time Anbar had freed himself with an explosion of lightning, Arctic had vanished again.

The longer I do my vanishing act, the angrier he gets and the more dangerous he becomes, Arctic noted grimly as he re-materialized in the corner farthest from Anbar. I have to finish this quickly.

Arctic jumped as a streak of lightning blazed through his hiding place. The Caligine Knight ducked into a shadow and shadowphased into reality above Anbar. Anbar snarled and thrust his blade upward just as Arctic threw a frost punch towards the lightning wielder. His eyes widened in horror as ice met lightning in a blind flash of light and crystal.

* * *

~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser J7-253, near Ophelia, Uranus~

* * *

Mekt stood uncomfortably in the back of the Assassins' cramped bridge and listened to them start the set-up for a forced boarding. He still wasn't really certain about what was going on, but he was apparently being forced to participate.

_Garth, you are in so much trouble even if I don't get arrested and executed by the Thanagarian High Command for this! This was not part of the plan!_

"Course steady," Mist Master said. "We're right on target."

"Do the preliminary engagements for the docking clamps," Silver Slasher ordered. "Titania – where's Titania?"

"I sent her to get the pennitate," Mist Master informed her. He was met by the scathing glare of his leader.

"Idiot! We don't need that yet! I need her to punch through that hull, or else I'll have to try and slice through the stupid thing!" Silver Slasher was fuming. "Lazon, go get Titania!"

Mekt closed his eyes and prayed that somehow, something would delay both of them.

* * *

******~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the Hawkwing, near Ophelia, Uranus~**

* * *

"There's been no response to our attempts at communication, sir. I think we should fire."

"Give them another minute. I want to be absolutely sure."

"But, sir, they're getting closer –"

The whole ship shook and screeched and half the bridge officers fell over. The navigator pulled herself back into her seat.

"Sir, the ship's disappeared! I think we got caught in the backlash of a hyperspace jump..."

A hollow, metallic clang resonated through the suddenly-silent ship.

"No, Lieutenant," Devak Mal said calmly, reaching for his flail mace and berating himself for overcaution. "We've been boarded."

* * *

Panarsa and several of the non-combatant personnel finished putting on their armor just as the entire cruiser shuddered. They kept their balance with their wings, and one of the other women cursed as she seized a sword and hooked a blaster to her hip.

"I refuse to be killed by anyone – pirates or otherwise," she snapped, as the others also armed themselves.

_'Being overcautious again, Devak?'_ Panarsa thought wryly, grabbing her special mace.

* * *

~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser J7-253, Cargo Bay, Mekt's Shuttle, near Ophelia, Uranus~

* * *

Titania roared in pain and clawed at her face, trying to get Dragonwing's acid out of her eyes. Marya took another deep breath and blew; fire burned a path through the air, catching on the synthetics of Titania's clothes.

Voltage blasted the Assassin from behind with a ball of lightning, disrupting her mental functions and making her jerk wildly for a moment before falling bonelessly to the floor.

"We don't have time for this!" Dragonwing said, frustrated.

She shoved the strange contraptions surrounding the pennitate roughly to the floor. Together, they lifted the explosives out of the shallow tray, which slipped off the table and shattered, mixing in bits of broken glass with the chemicals pooling everywhere.

Trying not to lose their balance, the two Outriders exited Mekt's ship.

* * *

~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the Hawkwing, near Ophelia, Uranus~

* * *

The Assassins burst through the hull and onto the Thanagarian ship, cutting down everyone in their path, showing the skills that had made Eve Aries chose them for this group in the first place. Silver Slasher tried to cut through a blonde Thanagarian, but the hawk woman caught her claws on her mace, sending an electroshock through it before opening her wings and darting backwards, fleeing into another corridor.

Mekt trailed along behind them, doing his best to not actually end up having to fight anyone. It did mean that he had to step over all the mangled corpses, but he told himself that this was better than becoming a murderer himself.

It didn't help the sick feeling in his stomach.

A faint gasp sounded; his eyes shifted – some of them were still alive. Mekt felt a wash of relief come over him. They have really good armor.

_Is it worth trying to take them out now? _he asked himself – and then immediately dismissed the thought. Of course it was worth it. The problem was, would he be able to do it?

One at a time, so it seems like a string of accidents, or all at once? he wondered as they approached the bridge.

* * *

~New Metropolis, the Docklands, West Tealboro~

* * *

Anbar grinned when he heard Arctic let out a pained yell as he was blown upwards, the lightning lighting up the entire warehouse like Christmas lights, winking against the ice field. There was a resounding crash as Arctic slammed against the broken ceiling and Anbar threw back his head, his triumphant mocking laughter ringing through the warehouse.

Somewhere above him, Arctic groaned, his fingers curling against a roofbeam as he hoisted himself upwards and collapsed onto said beam. His bones ached, his skin burned, and electricity crackled faintly over his body. Open wounds bled out, dripping onto the ice – and when he coughed, he spat blood. His pale skin was red with a raw burn that looked like actual lightning had been imprinted on his skin.

"Well, in case Mountain Bird has turned soft, I think killing you will make her heart bleed," Anbar's cruel voice echoed.

Arctic's eyes widened and he lifted his head, watching as lightning ricocheted off the ice walls, shattering them.

_I've made my own death trap._ A feeling of despair filled him as the lightning and ice swirled, the lightning demolishing every last shard of ice. How many times had he been in near-death scenarios and had Sverrir, Arthur, Yule or Gaia to back him up?

How would she react if Anbar killed him? Would he just prove her right – prove with his own corpse that he couldn't handle Sovereign?

_"Gaia's going through a really rough time right now, but she still cares for you. You're still her brother."_ Red X's words came back to him, prompting him to struggle to get to his feet.

_'No. It can't end like this. Anbar's not going to kill me. He may have me at death's door, but I'm not dying here.'_

Arctic took a breath, gave up on standing, and rolled off the beam seconds before the lightning connected with it. He landed with a thud and a gasp of pain on an ice platform several meters below and felt his ribs protest.

"You're not built for an ice age like I am," Arctic called, staggering to his feet.

"Where are you?!" Anbar demanded. "Come out and die!"

"Come find me," Arctic mocked. He crossed his arms over his head, looking up at the lightning that lit up the zone and banished all shadows.

_'Be my salvation.'_ His eyes fell shut.

* * *

******~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser J7-253, Cargo Bay, Mekt's Shuttle, near Ophelia, Uranus~**

* * *

Dragonwing pounded her fist against the cargo hold doors in fury.

"Why, why, why, why?!" she screamed.

"Didn't you hear us docking earlier?" Voltage asked, struggling to hold the pennitate by herself. "Ships are designed so that you can't open the cargo hold when you dock. That's why pirates like to try to get the people they're attacking to dock with them – so their targets can't jettison the cargo."

"Then how are we supposed to get this pennitate off the ship?"

"Carry it, I guess," Voltage proposed. "Help?"

Dragonwing spun and noticed the trouble her partner was in trying to balance the explosive. She dashed forward to help – and startled Voltage badly when she went straight by her and towards the other side of the cargo bay.

"Hey –!" Voltage tried to turn and see what had gotten into her partner – but the motion disrupted her balance and she stumbled, letting go of the pennitate on reflex. It hit the floor of the cargo hold with her and slid off a few feet, out of sight.

Now she could see Dragonwing on the other side of the cargo hold, desperately trying to keep Lazon away from their 'prize'.

_Oh. This is going to be fun,_ Voltage thought, scrambling to her feet and rushing to help.

* * *

"They're Assassins. The Assassins," Panarsa explained as she and the other Thanagarians hurriedly gathered the bodies of their comrades – some were dead. "They were headed for the bridge."

"The Ambassador!"

"Wait!" Panarsa called as two men turned to go to the bridge. "The Assassins aren't what we are used to fighting. We wait. They're not going to kill him – not right away."

"Then –"

"Prepare the med-bay. And the Cyro-chamber. Just in case." And I hope I'm right.

* * *

I think...Silver Slasher, Mekt decided. Find someone to 'fight', pretend they moved or something and hit her instead. Then she's out...get Neutrax while he's distracted with her – and do something about Mist Master...

He'd think of 'something' when he got there, though.

_'What good is lightning on gas?'_ a little voice in the back of his mind asked. He ignored it. He'd fallen slightly behind, and it was much more important to catch up to everyone than it was to ponder anything else.

_Got to put the plan in action._

He forced his way through a pair of blast doors that had been shredded to bits, trying not to catch his skin on anything.

It was the bridge, and the Assassins' trademarks were all over the dead crew littering the area.

The Assassins themselves had cornered the last Thanagarian on the other side of the bridge, and he was fighting like mad. The ceiling was too low for him to fly away, but he was deflecting every attack they could get at him.

_'Why doesn't Mist Master just choke him?'_ Mekt wondered as he started charging up. It looked like Silver Slasher was going to make her move soon – she'd dropped back and let Neutrax take over for the moment.

He'd start when she –

Silver Slasher pulled out a transparent plastic vial with some sort of rubber stopper. Her thin claws extended and punched through the rubber top, one by one. When she pulled them out, they were coated with a thin sheen of dark magenta.

Mekt stopped with his hand raised, electricity crackling around it.

_'Oh. Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no, no, NO, I recognize that...'_

The Thanagarian noticed him suddenly, and their eyes met across the room for an instant.

Silver Slasher moved.

Mekt snapped back to reality.

_I'm not going to –_

The claws sunk through the Thanagarian's armor. The man twitched, then lost his footing as the poison began to work, and fell to the floor.

Silver Slasher straightened up and retracted her claws. "Nice distraction, Ranzz."

Mekt lowered his hand numbly. The lightning flickered and died.

* * *

~New Metropolis, the Docklands, West Tealboro; 18:22~

* * *

Anbar's lightning danced as screams of rage ripped from his throat, each bolt making the light twinkle and the space brighter. The uncovered metal and wooden beams were beginning to give way, shrieking with each slide.

"She's a walking death trap and she knows it! You're just one of her pawns to protect her and she doesn't care if anyone dies!" Anbar laughed. "Me and her and Garth – we're all alike, Arctic. You just don't want to admit it. They'll kill all of you."

He's trying to get in my head. "Then why did she isolate herself from everyone she loves if she doesn't care about anyone's life?" Arctic's eyes shone with a cold light as more ice spires rose, weakening the lightning strikes rushing at him.

"If you wanna die for her, I'll grant your wish!"

"I would never die for Gaia," Arctic snapped – causing Anbar to look up in surprise, the lightning halting with his astonishment. "Ever. My life's worth more than that."

"Then why are you on her side?" Anbar sounded interested, as if they shared some secret; Arctic hid his disgust. "Planning on double crossing her? I can respect that – but she's my prey. And then I get to carve both her and Garth."

"I have my reasons." Arctic brought his arms down, fanning them out as he spun and rose into the air. Ice began to shatter as wind whipped ferociously around the room, howling. The ice fell like snow, solidifying as towering spires erupted once more.

With a howl of rage, Anbar slashed his lightning blades, sending a hail of volt blades hurtling at the frosty Caligine Knight – but Arctic's eyes snapped open and the ice and wind condensed so fast the lightning erupted against the thick ice wall, sending electricity through it, bouncing off the crystals.

"Lightning Tundra!"

Lightning reflected, shooting back at Anbar as Arctic jumped down, breaking apart his ice spires and sending them crashing towards Anbar in one devastating rain of wintery spears. The lightning slashed through the ice and Arctic twisted in the air, forming twin ice swords in his hands. He barely missed being slashed open as he landed right behind Anbar and spun, sweeping his leg under Anbar's and upending the lightning wielder onto the floor. A flat pillar of ice broke through the ground, sending both opponents careening upwards. Anbar forced himself to his feet and lunged – but Arctic stepped back, throwing his ice swords towards the ceiling as he fell.

"Committing suicide, Glacheren?" Anbar called, grinning down at him – but his smile dropped off his face as he noticed that the shattering ice was casting long shadows. Anbar cursed and uttered the word that had been his favorite all through the fight: "Coward!"

"I value my life," Arctic said simply, plunging into the shadows.

Anbar's eyes widened, and he looked up. The warehouse had finally given up, creaking as beams snapped and the roof caved in, dampening the lightning's blaze and sending piles of stone, metal, and wood straight down at Anbar.

"Or maybe not so much of a coward," Anbar amended. He smiled faintly before accessing his omnicom. "Teleport me, Sade."

He vanished in a haze of light seconds before a metal beam smashed into the still-climbing ice pillar he had been standing on.

* * *

~The Hawkwing~

* * *

"That," Dragonwing growled, "took way too long."

Voltage was inclined to agree. They'd had to abandon the cargo bay and the pennitate in order to get rid of Lazon, and now they were both hopelessly lost.

"I think we're on the other ship," she told her partner. "See the construction detailing?"

Dragonwing glanced up at the slight joint between the walls and ceiling. "Yeah."

"It's Thanagarian. I really doubt the Assassins have any of that on one of their ships."

"Turn up ahead," Dragonwing announced. "Which way?"

"Uh..."

They were coming up on it fast.

"You pick!"

Dragonwing put on an extra burst of speed and made it into the join of the corridors seconds before her partner. Voltage set foot in the join...

"Ayla?"

She whipped her head around.

"Mekt!" she yelled. She stopped abruptly, completely ignoring the two Assassins with him. "How could you do this? Don't you know who these people are?"

"Of course I know!" he replied. "Ayla, listen –"

"You bastard!" Voltage looked as though she was about to attack.

The corridor stank of ozone for a moment, and everyone but Voltage took a second to glance at the burned, slowly-melting section of hallway that still crackled with remnant electricity.

Silver Slasher stepped forward, but Neutrax held his arm out.

"Wait," he said quietly. "This is family. We'll go another way."

His teammate glared at him, and then at Mekt.

"You catch up later, Mekt," she snapped. "Clean up here – and then we'll have a little talk about this."

Mekt stayed silent until his 'associates' were out of sight – and hopefully earshot as well.

"Ayla –" he tried again.

"This is their fault!" his sister screamed at him. "Their fault and their Queen's!"

She threw more lightning at him. Mekt didn't move, only brought his arm up, charged slightly, to deflect the electricity. It ricocheted into the walls and fizzled off into sparks.

Dragonwing backed up some, deciding not to get involved.

"You want to know why Garth and I disappeared, Mekt?" Ayla challenged. "It was them!Them and their Sovereign Academy! They stole your family, Mekt, and tried to make them into child soldiers – and this is how you treat them?"

Her voice broke slightly, and she tried to compensate with more lightning.

"You make an alliance?"

The air crackled for a third time. The metal panels on the walls were starting to pool on the floor.

"You work with them? For them?"

Mekt lowered his arm and took a step forward, holding out his hands placatingly.

"Ayla, just listen. I can explain..."

"No," his sister replied. "No, I really think you can't."

She brought both her hands up and blasted him, electricity arcing and hissing in the air against the metal running in thin streams off the walls, and illuminating the corridor with harsh, white neon light.

* * *

~Star Pavilion, Cafeteria, Level 3; 18:45~

* * *

Keep thinking of Gaia! Reach with your mind, reach! If I give up in the shadows when I'm like this...I'll stay here forever. I will die!

Gaia looked up from her dinner tray uneasily as a wash of fear that wasn't hers nearly overwhelmed her mind.

"Adeola?" Nightsun and Chameleon looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

Suddenly, the lights of the dining hall went out.

"Umbra!" Ultimatum yelled.

"It's not me!"

The darkness receded; the lights flickered back on, and there was crash as a body tumbled from the ceiling, skidding on the floor and trailing blood and ice crystals everywhere.

Gaia was on her feet, her chair pushed roughly backwards before the body had hit the floor, screaming.

"Arctic! Arctic, Arctic, no, no, no, no!" She shoved past Nightsun, Tyroc, and Gravity Star, falling to her knees before her bleeding partner. Her hands started to glow and desperately, she laid them over his bleeding wounds.

"MEDIC, NOW!" Tyroc bellowed as Reep ran over with a medi-kit.

"Arctic!" Gaia pleaded.

He wheezed, turning glazed eyes towards her, and lifted his hand slightly, blood dripping out of his mouth. "I –"

"Shut up, Arctic," Gaia ordered. Her vision was already becoming spotty as the worst of his wounds closed. His wounds were near-fatal; his pulse was weakening and going way too fast. She swayed, and Arctic's hand closed around her wrist, shaking. Shock came over her face.

His hand was warming. It was nowhere near its usual frigid temperature. He was barely colder than an ice cube out of the freezer.

_'I'd never die for you, Adeola.'_ Gaia's eyes widened. '_I'd rather live for you.'_

"Who did this?" she demanded as Nightsun, Tyroc, Umbra clustered around them, medi-kit in hand. The trio started straightening Arctic out and cleaning up the blood, beginning to bandage him as Chameleon Boy ran for the medical bay and people cleared a large area around the fallen Knight.

Nightsun silently knelt by Gaia, grasping her hand in his and sending a surge of power through her bones. A light engulfed their hands. She barely noticed – but she wasn't in danger of fainting from overhealing now.

_'Not telling. Not yet.'_

She could feel his consciousness began to fade out; his eyes fluttered.

"No, don't you dare pass out!" Gaia growled. "You are going to stay awake!_ STAY AWAKE!"_

* * *

_End Episode 7.2_


	22. Episode 7 Part 3: Poisoned

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Mirror's Mirage and Philosophizes_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**_Legion of Superheroes: The Areté Saga_**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 7: Price of Loyalty – Part 3: Poisoned

_Song: Hero's Journey – Audiomachine _

* * *

March 28th, 3011

_~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the _Hawkwing_, past Saturn; 23:05 UTC~_

_(19:05 EST)_

* * *

Some of the remaining crew – there were only seven uninjured crew members outside of the bridge out of the fifteen they had started with, eight counting Panarsa – were upset about hiding from Assassins; but Panarsa was more concerned with staying alive.

"They're gone," the Sergeant said and Panarsa nodded, picking out a capable fighter and two medics to go with her to the bridge – just in case they'd left people behind.

"The rest of you – get these people into the infirmary and prepare to seal off the hatch as soon as those people undock," Panarsa directed. "Put the infirmary on lockdown and separate from the rest of the atmosphere system."

"We'd better take these," another officer said, handing out rebreathers. "We don't want to suffocate."

One of the Thanagarians took one of the rebreathers and immediately took flight, rushing to the docking port.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Cafeteria, Level 3~_

* * *

"You're not helping him by crowding!" Lightning flew over to the convoy of medical personnel and Legionnaires rushing Arctic to the infirmary and grabbed Gaia's shoulder, pulling her to the side and out of the way.

"I need to heal him, lemme go!"

Nightsun broke away from the convoy to help Lightning hold Gaia. "You'll end up passing out yourself," Nightsun pointed out. "Besides, you closed the worst of his wounds – he is not going to die."

"You did fine," Lightning assured her. "You can relax."

"He was _bleeding _all over the place!"

"I know, but Brainy's not going to let him die! Stop thrashing around – you're going to rip my arms off!"

"We can start by figuring out who did this," Nightsun suggested.

Behind Gaia, wrapping his arms around his thrashing oath-sister, Lightning shook his head, mouthing _"No, no, bad idea." _

Gaia stopped struggling and slumped against Garth, hearing Arctic's gurney and Tyroc's orders recede down the next corridor.

"I know who did it," she said grimly. "Arctic had lightning burns on his arms."

* * *

_~Sovereign Elite Star Cruiser _J7-253_, docked on the _Hawkwing

* * *

Silver Slasher paced around the the Assassins' ship's command deck.

"Ranzz is taking too long," she muttered.

Titania, who had mostly recovered from her attack, spat on the floor. "Probably chatting it up with his sister," she replied. "There was something _weird_ happening with that pennitate in his hold. Those _defectors_ were trying to steal it. Lazon_ saw_."

Lazon, still unconscious, declined comment.

Neutrax looked as curious as a man with obscured eyes could. "Ranzz is a traitor?"

"Never really part of the group," Mist Master reminded him.

Their leader frowned, looking out the deck viewport at the Thanagarian ship. "We still _have_the pennitate, don't we?"

"Yeah," Titania told her.

"Then we don't need Ranzz," she decided. "Let's go. Mist, unhook the docking mechanism. "Let's see how those defectors do without atmosphere."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Medical Bay, Level 9~_

* * *

"Set him here." Brainiac 5 was already in the medical ward's surgery section, the cryopod set up. It was tilted forward, like Brainy's sleeping berth. "We need to stitch whatever remaining wounds Gaia didn't heal." He switched his cybernetic eye to x-ray vision to peer under Arctic's skin for any damage. "Minor internal bleeding...ruptured vessel." _Nothing too serious as long as we fix it quickly._

"We cleaned up the blood around the wounds," Tyroc said as Gravity Star used his powers to transfer Arctic from the gurney to the bed. "Used a cold cloth on the burns."

"Good. This cryopod is programmed to simulate temperatures on Glacheroma. We need to cool him down to the proper temperature or he'll never recover. Nurse..." Brainy pointed at a civilian staff member. "Set up the monitors. Cham, leave."

"I want to help!" His adopted brother protested. Brainy didn't waste time arguing.

"Set up my tools," he instructed. "You know how, correct?"

Cham nodded and went to do as he was ordered.

The nurse activated the cryochamber, raising two glass plates around Arctic.

"Decrease room temperature as well," Brainy ordered. "Umbra, Tyroc, you're dismissed," he added as Shrinking Violet and Lyle came in. "Vi, set up the IV – he has internal bleeding from a ruptured vessel. No broken bones, though." _A miracle, surely_. "Gravity Star – before you leave, we'll need coats."

* * *

_~Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the _Hawkwing_, past Saturn~_

* * *

The metal walls of the ship's corridor went _plink-plink_ as they cooled, resolidifying into a random, abstract design that Dragonwing would have found much prettier if it wasn't for the fact that her partner had just _fried_her older brother – who was currently lying in the middle of the floor, smoking slightly from where his clothes had burned away a little.

"You knocked him out!" she exclaimed.

"That was the _point,_" Voltage replied tersely. "Doesn't he realize who he's working for? What he's _done_? He delivered _high-quality explosives_ to _terrorists_! Kidnappers who make child soldiers!" She was ranting furiously by now. "Some...some _kid_ is going to have that pennitate shoved in his hands and be told to stick it on the side of a building or something – and _he'll do it_, because _they_told him to-"

"Voltage, calm down!" Dragonwing exclaimed. "Just...calm down. I know you're hurt, I know it's your brother, but –"

"He...he's not the person I thought he was," Voltage said quietly. "I always thought he and Garth were so alike, only that Mekt was the one with the cooler head; but _Garth_...and _Mekt's_–"

She fired another lightning bolt at the wall in frustration.

"He was trying to tell you something earlier," Dragonwing reminded her, trying to offer some comfort. "Maybe you should have listened; people do crazy things in war – maybe he had a good reason –"

"_You _were with them too, Marya!" Voltage exclaimed, turning to face her. "There is _no_good reason to ally yourself with Eve and her people –"

"We still don't know what he was doing with that set-up in his ship –"

"But he still _had_ the pennitate, Marya!" Voltage said, dragging her hands through her hair. "It was _in the Assassins' ship!_ No matter _what_ his justifications were, he still _gave_ it to them! He stole it from the depot and delivered it _straight_ to the worst possible people! It wasn't like he stole it and then the Assassins _happened_to pick it up!"

"It could have been a ploy to get on the ship, to gain their trust..."

"But it doesn't make him any less a criminal!" Voltage yelled. "My brother's made himself a _criminal_! The sort of person I've dedicated my life to bringing down and turning over to the law, the sort of person Garth –"

She stopped.

"Marya, I don't know if I can _do_ this; if I can turn him in and know I'm the reason he was caught and spent his whole life rotting in jail, maybe being _killed _–"

_"Ayla!"_Dragonwing exclaimed, cutting her off. "Can you feel –"

The ship shuddered slightly, and then there was a slight breeze flowing past them, back towards the direction of the Assassin's craft and growing steadily stronger.

Voltage and Dragonwing looked at each other.

"The Assassins are leaving –" Voltage started to say.

Dragonwing burst past her. "To the command bay!" she ordered. "Those always have airlocks – the Assassins don't care about us choking to death!"

She heard footsteps pounding behind her and Voltage overtook her to jump over her brother, still unconscious on the floor.

_"Grab him, Ayla!"_

Her partner paused for a moment, and for one terrible second Marya thought that maybe she'd judged her friend _completely_wrong for the entire time she'd known her...

_Would she rather see her brother sit in jail for the rest of his life or cut it short with a quick, cold death in space where no one else would have to know what he did?_

...but the Outrider spun on her heel and grabbed him under the arms, hauling him half-upright.

Dragonwing caught up barely a second later. She snatched one of his arms and the two of them ran as fast as they could down the hallway together, dragging Mekt towards the command bay.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Visitor's Area, Level 9, 19:24 EST ~_

* * *

"I'm going back to the medical bay."

Lightning and Nightsun turned to stare suspiciously at Gaia. The three of them were in the visitor's area outside the medbay, anxiously waiting for news about Arctic's condition.

"Don't look at me like that!" Gaia said. "I'll do exactly what Brainy tells me to – I just don't like sitting around while my partner's...injured."

"Okay," Lightning acquiesced. "We're going to have a meeting about this."

"I'll contact the Knights, keep them posted," Nightsun volunteered.

Lightning nodded. "Good idea. You go see what you can do for Arctic, Gaia." She nodded, flying off.

Nightsun frowned. "Has this ever happened before?"

"Never. Shockingly." Lightning sighed. "Guess we were due." His gaze hardened. "But if Gaia doesn't get to Anbar first, I'll gladly take revenge for her."

* * *

_~Miagani Labyrinth, Neo Gotham~_

* * *

Zace, a.k.a. Red X, sighed and leaned back in his chair, his mask resting on the dashboard as he bounced a rubber ball back and forth across the cave floor.

Monitor duty was so _boring_, and Steel Arrow wasn't around to mess with. Sometimes, he wished _he_ had a partner – being the loner of the group was depressing sometimes. Silhouette and Eclipse were up in dojo trying to kill each other – or sparring, so they said – but they fought so viciously, he was sure they actually had _issues_with each other that they wouldn't talk about. Either that or it was him making things up so he could have some excitement.

Carmichael the bunny was sleeping under the console with his long ears over his eyes; he practically blended in. The ball ricocheted off the floor, prompting Carmichael to make a 'wuffing' sound and look up at Zace in annoyance.

"I swear, you are the most abnormal bunny ever," the thief grumbled.

Carmichael just glared (since when do bunnies glare?) and closed his eyes, promptly going to sleep again.

Duchess sat up interestedly as the ball he was throwing bounced near her. When the ball returned to Red X's hand she yapped, looking hopeful.

"Oh, you wanna play fetch? You're way more fun to play with than Mr. Batrabbit over here."

Duchess barked a confirmation and wagged her tail. Red X raised his hand to throw the ball for her – but the computer went off.

_"Incoming Transmission,"_the computer system announced in a mechanized version of Alyss' voice.

Both man and dog moaned/whined in disappointment. "Sender?" Red X queried.

_"Nightsun, Star Pavilion."_

"Patch it through," he directed. He considered putting his mask on, but decided not to – Nightsun was a close friend, after all. "Small holobody format," he added, and the computer projected Nightsun's likeness in front of him in full color. "Hey, Nightsun, what's up?"

_"_Why_ are you so cheerful?"_the Tamaranean asked, sounding amused.

"Because I'm the only one here –" Duchess barked. "Sorry – it's just me, the dog, the bunny – and I guess the bats – and I'm bored,"

Nightsun's look of mild amusement faded. _"Well, you won't be bored anymore."_

"Is there a problem?"

_"Arctic was attacked by Anbar. It's possible he'll need a blood transfusion – Gaia says you keep a stock just in case."_

Red X stared at the screen, dread creeping through his veins. Duchess put a concerned paw on his arm. "Blood transfusion?" he whispered. "Just _how_bad is it?"

Nightsun's face was grim. _"He almost didn't make it back. If he didn't have the Shadow Crest..."_he trailed off, but he didn't need to finish the sentence. Red X felt his blood go cold.

They'd almost lost a teammate. And they wouldn't have been able to help him.

The Knight stood. _No more jokes. Arctic almost **died**_**. **"I'll be right there."

_"But –"_

"The Generals are up in the dojo, but I'm _coming_. Right now."

* * *

_~ Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the _Hawkwing_, near Saturn~_

* * *

Voltage and Dragonwing burst into the bridge as the computer announced, _"Docking Hatch closed. Activating recovery protocols." _

"They left Assassins behind to finish the job!" A mace swung into Voltage's line of vision, nearly hitting the brother draped over her shoulder; Voltage caught the electrified tool in her hand, missing the spikes and cloaking her hand in a shroud of lightning.

"We're not with them," she said. "_He_is." She shrugged the shoulder that was supporting Mekt.

"You know, since you didn't give him a chance to explain, we don't actually _know_that," Dragonwing pointed out.

"He was _with_them! What more proof do you need?!"

"Just like we don't know if you speak the truth," the large male Thanagarian snapped.

Three other Thanagarians were hanging around the bridge, connecting one of their comrades to an array of tubes. Another Thanagarian – who looked to be hovering between life and death – was being hooked up to life support; quite a few Thanagarians were clustered around him, debating.

"He needs a cryochamber!"

"But if we move him _now_, the poisoning will speed up!"

"We can use the emergency cyropods, here in the bridge," the Thanagarian blonde who seemed to be in charge said. "They may be a bit damage but they should buy us time,"

The last medic was arranging the dead, whispering prayers over their bodies.

"We don't know what to say to make you believe we're on your side," Dragonwing admitted. "But we know those Assassins – and they are our enemies. We were trying to capture something from their ship when they docked."

"Volakan," Panarsa called. "Let me see them."

Volakan grunted and shifted to the side, relieving Voltage of her burden and scooping Mekt onto his own shoulder.

Panarsa shifted to Devak's other side so she could watch her employer and the girls at the same time. Upon seeing Voltage, a flicker of recognition crossed her face. "Ayla Ranzz."

"How do you know me?"

"I know your twin brother," she replied, and Voltage's eyes widened. "Aside from being a girl, you are the spitting image."

"Panarsa –"

"She is on our side," Panarsa assured Volakan. "She's one of the people who orchestrated this – to bring Sovereign into the open, so they may be defeated."

Volakan raised an eyebrow. "Could have arranged it a bit better," he commented.

"We were only kids," Voltage muttered, moving towards Devak. "We're not perfect. Let me help – my lightning can burn out some of the poison."

Volakan raised an eyebrow. "Only _kids_?" _Aren't they _still _fledglings?_

The other two medics were keeping their focus mostly on their tasks, but eyed the newcomers with caution.

"What about her?" Volakan asked, steering Dragonwing into the room.

"I can just stand here and watch him if you'd like," Dragonwing offered, not wanting to raise their suspicions any more than they already had.

Volakan grunted. "I'll open the cage."

Devak groaned as Voltage knelt by his side, tiny sparks dancing on her fingertips. "Wait," he rasped.

"Try not to speak," Panarsa cautioned. "We're going to keep you alive."

"He tried to help..."

"Quiet," Voltage ordered. "You can talk later." _Hopefully_.

* * *

The first thing Mekt noticed, even before he opened his eyes, was that he had a terrible headache. And he had pins and needles all over, like his circulation had been cut off everywhere and was just starting to come back.

He forced his eyes open and looked around groggily. He was back on the Thanagarian command deck, slumped against one of the consoles.

Mekt tried to stand up, but felt a sharp yank on his arm when he attempted to straighten his body. He looked down at his wrist.

He was cuffed to the underside of the console. Not only that – he was in a glowing, hard-light cage.

That woke him up.

_What – I was trying to get Ayla to stop attacking me, and she – did the Assassins come back? Did they leave me here to –_

"Awake now, _brother_?"

Mekt turned his head slowly, sure that if he tried to move at his normal pace he'd pass out again.

"Ayla, wh–"

His sister glared at him from her seat at the next console.

"Be glad I didn't leave you for the Assassins," she told him curtly. "They left without even looking for you, and took all the air from the rest of the ship, too."

"Ayla –"

"I don't trust you," she growled at him, low enough so Dragonwing, over by the commander's chair, couldn't hear. "Devak Mal said you tried to save him, and that is the _only_reason I'm talking to you right now."

Mekt glanced around. The bridge had become a makeshift infirmary. A Thanagarian woman was standing by an emergency cryochamber; there was another behind a half-closed panel – and he assumed the bridge was equipped with cryochambers. Dragonwing was helping another Thanagarian navigate and steer the ship, and there were four other Thanagarians milling around the controls or helping Panarsa monitor the cryochamber that held the Ambassador.

"Ayla, I wasn't working for –"

"Save it," his sister told him bitterly. "You can tell it to the _Legion._We're almost to Earth."

That was actually kind of a relief. Garth could explain things to Ayla and convince her it was _his _fault he had been with the Assassins (well, _half_his fault).

"We've gotten clearance to access the nearest Zeta Gate," Volakan announced. "Distance: 7.7974 AU(1)_._"

"Accessing Warp 2," Dragonwing said. "Any faster and we'll break to pieces. Charting route to Earth."

They couldn't get there soon enough.

"Find the nearest hospital," Volakan directed Dragonwing.

"No – head for the Star Pavilion," Panarsa said from her station by Devak's cryochamber. "Brainiac 5 stands a much better chance of saving him. And we'll have a direct route via their Zeta Gate."

"Yes, ma'am," Dragonwing agreed. "Changing Zeta coordinates."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Medical Bay, Level 9; 20:02 EST~_

* * *

Gaia was waiting patiently in the waiting room outside the medical bay when Brainy came out, dressed in a black muscle shirt and pants, having discarded his longer magenta coat. A pair of rubber surgical gloves hung from his belt loop.

"You can help, but _only_if you don't use your healing abilities," Brainy said sternly, handing Gaia a kit. "Arctic needs a transfusion, but he's out of danger for the most part. Surgery isn't necessary – we've hooked him up to an IV bag with a clotting agent to help with the internal bleeding. We've cleaned his wounds, but he does still need some stitching – and his temperature is returning to normal. You'll probably need a coat," he added.

"Can't I heal him just a _little_?"

"_No_," he said sternly. "You've healed a good portion of the damage – you saved his life, but if you use your healing abilities too much on him, he'll become resistant to it in the future. You don't want that."

Gaia stared at the box he had handed her. "No..."

Brainy's stern expression softened. "He's never been hurt this badly before, has he?"

"No. I've never had much use for the healing abilities on anyone, except for small cuts – and they are hardly worth the trouble. Red X gets the most injuries, really, but he heals fast enough on his own."

"Arctic will be fine," Brainy assured her. "After you're done, I want to give you a check-up as well. Red X sent your medical records over and there's a phenomenon I want to check."

Gaia looked up, concerned. "Phenomenon?"

"Nothing detrimental, I assure you."

"You're terrible at reassuring people!"

"Just go help your partner." Brainy left without another word.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Mission Hub, Level 9~_

* * *

"Well, Anbar's definitely on the 'lethally dangerous' list," Gravity Star said, setting his tray down in the conference room. Lightning was present, as were Tyroc, Umbra, Ultimatum, Cham, and Nightsun, finishing the dinner that had been interrupted.

"What happens if one of us runs into him?" Cham asked. He was trying to hide it, but he was clearly afraid – and he should be; out of all the Legionnaires, he had the least field experience. Even Kono and Nightsun had had prior experience in this sort of work before joining the Legion. "We don't stand a chance against him if he beat Arctic."

"I think Gravity Star would have a better chance," Lightning said.

"Excuse me?" said Legionnaire inquired.

"Your power," Lightning explained. "You don't have to attack him head on. You can stop him from attacking. Cham also has a chance – the trick to beating Anbar with a limited amount of power is tactics – he's all about brute force."

"Rico is mostly immune to lightning," Umbra offered.

"Tyroc's sonic scream would just annoy him," Cham added.

"And we know how unwise provoking him would be," Tyroc said dryly.

"XS can run as fast as I can fly in lightning-speed, but he knows speeds and distance pretty well," Lightning continued. "Someone write this down."

Umbra got out a datapad and started to type.

"What about Brainy?" Gravity Star asked.

"It's possible," Lightning conceded, "but he _is _technorganic...I think in terms of electrical resistance he would be the most vulnerable. His nanites get scrambled if I brush him with lightning."

"He's working on that," Cham said.

"But it's difficult to develop resistance – especially with bioelectricity when he has a natural weakness to it," Umbra pointed out, momentarily pausing her typing.

"What about Nightsun?" Cham asked. "He can absorb extra power."

"I only absorb_ solar _radiation," Nightsun said.

"I didn't mean absorb his lightning! I meant power up, carry extra sun shards!"

"I don't think extra power is the way to go," Nightsun disagreed.

"I have invulnerability," Ultimatum put in. "But I can only use one power at a time, which means my punches won't be as strong."

"Dealing with him is going to be tricky...he'll try to get us alone," Lightning said. "He doesn't like pain very much – he won't put himself in a position to get hit by multiple people."

"I thought you said he isn't that smart," Cham grumbled.

"Let's not underestimate him," Umbra warned. "We saw what happened to Arctic. Anbar isn't one of the standard, run-of-the-mill criminals we throw in jail everyday."

"True enough," Lightning admitted. "Have someone patch a call through to the patrol teams and –" He was interrupted as his omnipad went off. "Huh?"

_"The Stardrome Team requests Founder's leave to open the space-side Zeta Gate for a non-Legion entity. A Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser is requesting emergency Zeta Gate access," _COMPUTO explained primly.

"On what grounds?"

_"Medical emergency – critical condition."_

"Open it up. Scan for any hostiles," Lightning directed, standing up. "Cham, Umbra – with me. Grav, Zeta-Hub – who's on duty there?"

"Dream Girl."

"Good. Go join her. Ricochet..." Ricochet's face appeared on Lightning's screen as Cham and Umbra dutifully followed him out of the room.

_"Yes, sir," _Ricochet said, half-mock saluting. _"We've already cleared them and scans are underway. The rerouter is in place."_

"Good job, Bouncy. We're on our way,"

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Main Hall, Level 1; 20:15~_

* * *

Nightsun was by the Zeta-platform, holding the omnipad his mother had given him as a present, a congratulations on his new job. He had just disconnected from his chat with Red X; the normally wisecracking thief had turned deadly serious in almost an instant, and inwardly Nightsun shuddered at the change.

Gaia and Lightning were becoming more and more distant, Arctic was critically injured, Red X was being serious...already the war was taking its toll, and it had yet to truly begin.

The Zeta-platform, tucked away in a corner of the main hall in a round room, flashed.

_"Knight 05: Red X,_" COMPUTO announced as golden light gathered around one of the pads, revealing Red X – or so it claimed.

Nightsun blinked. "You change your armor," he noted dumbly.

Instead of the suit invented by the original Robin centuries ago, Red X was wearing a high-collar black battlesuit with red lines running through the arms and legs, the stylized red 'X' slashed across his left hip. It only had guards on the shoulders, elbows, and knees down to his feet, but Nightsun felt oddly certain it was _much_stronger than the original. He didn't even have the same mask anymore – it was just a black visor now, much like Falcon's and Echo Cipher's – though a bright, uneven red 'X' was slashed across the top and the visual plate flashed red instead of black.

"New shadetech armor. It's about time Arctic actually started _wearing _it," Red X explained, running his hands through his now-exposed dark brown hair. He was also carrying a dark backpack of hard plastic. "This thing is shielded from the effects of Zeta beaming. Where is he?"

"Upstairs," Nightsun said. "Follow me."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Medical Bay, Level 9~_

* * *

Brainy was surprisingly impatient for an (arrogant) twelfth-level intellect – so Gaia let Brainy circle around her taking blood samples and waving mysterious medical devices at her while she patched up Arctic the old-fashioned way. It was slightly disconcerting, stitching up her partner's skin while Brainy took more blood samples – but she told herself it was no different from rubbing on some healing salve, even though she was _totally _lying to herself.

But it made her feel better that Arctic's skin was beginning to feel more like the ice age she was used to instead of the frighteningly normal (abnormal), _warm _temperature of before. She was just snipping the last of the thread away when Brainy made a noise of interest from his place by the door.

"What?" she asked, turning around on her stool and adjusting her coat. He was staring at the omnipad and he waved his hand absently.

"Nothing you need to worry about at the moment."

"It's my blood! Of course I should be worried!"

"You're already worrying about Anbar, Arctic, Lightning, and the safety of the galaxy." Brainy pointed out as COMPUTO bleeped.

_"Urgent message," _it said, before opening a screen to Lightning.

"Yes, Commander?" Brainy said, affecting a tone of respect with just a hint of sarcasm.

Lightning ignored that. _"We need Gaia down in the Stardrome stat. We've got wounded coming in and –"_

"Absolutely not. Gaia shouldn't be healing anyone right now."

"It would be great if you told me why," Gaia said dryly.

Brainy ignored her. "I'm trying to decipher what effects the regenerative healing of others has on her overall state of health! And she is still recovering from healing Arctic."

Lightning closed his eyes._ "It's Devak Mal."_ Gaia froze. _"I'm sorry – I wouldn't ask if it was anything else...but it was Rakurga poison and he's dying."_

"I don't have a Thanagarian antidote!" Brainy protested as Gaia bundled into her coat. "Gaia, don't!" It was too late – the coat collapsed as Gaia used the shadow it provided to phase.

_"Then _make_ one!"_

"She can't constantly heal a critically poisoned person, especially not in her condition! The effect it could have –"

_"I wouldn't ASK if it wasn't NEAR FATAL! You think I _want _her to do this?! And she'd never forgive me if I didn't tell her!"_

Lightning was right – Gaia had developed a strong respect for the Ambassador the last time they had met. Brainy took a breath.

"I need a blood sample." He yelled for an assistant; Lyle popped in almost immediately. "Watch Arctic; where's Vi?"

"Stardrome," Lyle replied.

_"Vi will get a sample for you and rush it up," _Lightning promised._ "And XS is coming with the blood for Arctic."_

On cue, there was a blur of color and Lyle suddenly had a large plastic container filled with blood in his hands before the XS whirlwind sped off again.

"No – I'll come down myself. The sooner I see Devak, the better." Brainy switched the video feed to his omnipad and swept out of the cold room, issuing directions as he walked. "Lyle, get some of the nursing staff in this medical bay _stat_ – Arctic's chart is in the usual place. I don't want to see an _empty _medical bay ever again," he muttered, half to himself – by this time he was out of sight. "And give Timber Wolf a patrol assignment so he stops lurking by Phantom Girl's door," he added at a shout.

_"And prepare a room for Gaia," _COMPUTO put in for Brainy. "_With all the appropriate equipment."_

* * *

_~ Thanagarian Ambassadorial Cruiser, the _Hawkwing_, near Saturn~_

_Song: A Call To Arms –_ _Immediate Music_

* * *

Mekt was being ignored. No one was paying him the slightest bit of attention – all their focus was directed elsewhere. The medical staff was tending to the injured and monitoring Devak's cryochamber carefully. Voltage was standing – or, to be more accurate, pacing – at a console with Dragonwing. Both Outriders were awaiting permission to enter the Zeta gate.

"We've received Legion clearance to enter their space," Volakan announced.

_"Approaching entry point. Twenty seconds," _the AI navigation computer spoke up.

"Preparing thrusters for ascension," Volakan added. "Someone get on the PA to inform what little crew we have left."

One of the medics did so, going over to the intercom system controls. "_Attention, all crew. We are approaching the Legion of Superheroes' Star Pavilion, where the Ambassador and any of our crewmates will receive medical attention. The Legion will assist with the transport of the injured."_

The entry went without a hitch – within seconds, they exited the Zeta stream and the stars were replaced by a long tube of silver metal. White lights flicked on as the ship flew smoothly through the tube, scanners of blue light running over the hull as it passed. There was a jolt as clamps came down around the cruiser and moved them to a platform. Mekt moved closer to the bars of his cage – through the side window, he could see a crowd of people on the dock, though he couldn't make out faces.

"Tell them to get a cell ready," Voltage said, glaring over her shoulder at Mekt.

"_Attention, crew. Prepare to disembark,"_the intercom manager announced, as the medics and Panarsa prepared to move the cryochamber.

Mekt wasn't too worried. Garth had pushed aside all bad feeling in favor of stopping this threat. As long as Garth was somewhere about, he'd have him out in no time (or, preferably, not in a cell at all). He hoped.

Panarsa and the medics were careful about putting the cryochamber on wheels and making sure that it was still functioning as it should.

There was another slight jolt as the boarding plank connected with the platform below. Within moments, the bridge doors opened, revealing Brainiac 5 standing there with XS.

"Is this Devak's cryochamber?" he asked, pulling on a pair of black gloves as he walked towards them.

Panarsa got over the surprise at his sudden appearance the fastest. "Yes. It seems to have slowed the poisoning considerably."

"Good – your actions gave him a better chance," Brainy approved. "The blood sample will have to wait until we're in the medical bay." He touched the cryochamber and it lifted right off the ground, magenta energy circulating through it. "XS, go help the medics transport their wounded." As she saluted and dashed off, Brainy switched his attention to Dragonwing and Voltage, who were watching him quizzically.

"Ms. Ranzz...Miss," he greeted, nodding at Dragonwing. "Bring Mekt out with you, if you please." He left the room with the cryochamber before anyone could say anything else.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Cruiser Bay, Level 10; 20:30 EST~_

* * *

The Thanagarians were consulting with the Legionnaires about their injured or dead crewmates and the state of their ship when Mekt was dragged out by his sister. She wasn't being terribly gentle and seemed determined to bruise him as much as possible before handing him off to the Legion.

Upon catching sight of Gaia and Shrinking Violet flying after Brainy as the Coluan rattled off instructions, Ayla made a mental note to track down Gaia later; it had been too long since she had seen her friend and a small part of her feared how she had changed.

Panarsa and one of the Thanagarian medics followed Brainy, Vi, and Gaia; Volakan stopped by the cluster of Legionnaires and Thanagarians talking about cruiser repairs and courses of action.

Triplicate Girl was speaking, recording what the Deputy Engineer was saying and nodding while Ricochet monitored the docks with help from some of the staff.

"You can stick around and help if you like," Lightning was saying. "But –" He caught sight of the new arrivals behind Volakan and paused, tilting slightly to see better. Volakan noticed and obligingly moved out of the way; Lightning's eyes widened, a smile flickering on his face. "Ayla!" he called joyfully.

"What?" Triplicate Girl asked, looking up.

Voltage smiled restrainedly, pulling Mekt forward with her. "If only this could be a happy reunion," she said with some bitterness.

"Why are you in chains, Mekt?" Lightning sounded confused.

"Can we put him in a cell first?" Voltage asked.

Mekt tried to pull out of Ayla's grasp and failed. Everyone was staring in confusion. "She wouldn't let me explain that I was _trying_to sabotage them!" he said, aggrieved.

"How was that sabotage?!" Voltage demanded.

Triplicate Girl gave Lightning a look. "Care to explain this?"

"Um, we're going to go sort this out," Lightning said awkwardly, ushering his squabbling siblings out of the room. Dragonwing trailed after him, and Lightning glanced up, distracted. "Who are – oh, it's _you_." He sounded wary; Dragonwing flashed him a mischievous grin.

"I promise not to breathe fire on you this time," she said solemnly. (2)

"That's not what I'm worried about. Triplicate Girl, you're in charge of..." Lightning waved his hand at the Thanagarians and their ship. "...this. Get back to me, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Triplicate Girl said as they left. Then she turned to the group of Thanagarians. "Um, which one of you is in charge...?"

* * *

Voltage shoved Mekt towards Lightning once they were inside Star Pavilion proper, a look of disgust on her face. She was horrified when Lightning's eyes and scar flashed neon blue and a surge of lightning wreathed the cuffs, completely shattering them.

"Ow!" Mekt complained as he rubbed his wrist. "You couldn't have been a bit gentler about it?"

"You're tough." Lightning was completely unconcerned.

"Garth, what are you doing?!"

"Ayla, calm down," Lightning coaxed. "It was my fault he was there – okay, it was partially his fault, but mostly mine. He was playing double-agent for me – sabotaging some equipment they needed."

Dragonwing turned pale. "Oh, no..."

"What?" Lightning demanded.

"They got the pennitate."

* * *

_End Episode 7.3_

(1) AU = Astronomical Units  
(2) In Episode 2.2 of Season One, during the first Legion tryouts, Lightning made a comment referring to a previous instance when a five-year-old with fire powers had eaten hotsauce and spewed flames all over him; Dragonwing is the one he was talking about.


	23. Episode 7 Part 4: The Pressure Builds

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 7: Price of Loyalty – Part 4: The Pressure Builds

_Song: Europa – Globus_

* * *

March 28th, 3011

_~Star Pavilion, Medical Ward; 20:45~_

* * *

Stepping out of a skypipe and just entering the Pavilion, Cosmic Wave, Saturn Girl, and Nemesis Kid got out of the way of a team of Thanagarians and medical staff running/flying down the corridors pushing gurneys. Nemesis Kid frowned, looking at the two Founders.

"What the hell happened?"

"Sovereign happened."

Saturn Girl set her hands on the shoulders of the boys as they jumped, ready to attack as they came face to face with Red X.

"Red X?" Cosmic Wave asked, sounding surprised. "You changed your uniform."

"Shadow armor," he explained.

"Wait, Sovereign?" Saturn Girl interrupted.

Red X nodded, his normal devil-may-care attitude conspicuously absent. "Arctic is in critical condition; the Assassins – you know them, right? Blok defected before he joined up with you...they attacked the Thanagarian Cruiser –"

"What?"

"Nightsun's better at explaining," Red X said as the Tamaranean flew up.

"Nightsun, what's going on?" Saturn Girl inquired.

Nightsun took a breath before reeling off: "Arctic was attacked by Anbar – injuries near fatal – he shadowphased back and almost didn't make it. Gaia healed him up a bit, saved his life. Devak's cruiser was attacked by Assassins – half the crew was killed and Devak was poisoned. Also, Lightning's brother, sister, and a friend of theirs are all here – apparently Mekt was a double-agent for Garth – Brainy knew this – and Voltage and Dragonwing are Sovereign escapees."

"Garth's sister is here!?"

"I'll give a more thorough debriefing," Nightsun assured them. "Red X –" He stopped when he saw the Knight wasn't there anymore.

_'Go inform the other Knights, I know.'_ The thief's voice echoed in his mind.

_'Actually, I was going to say check on Arctic, but that works too.'_

"Debrief us on the way to the medical bay," Saturn Girl directed, flying in that direction. "I may need to check the mental stability of all the wounded."

"Oh, Nemesis Kid is needed as well," Nightsun added. "Diamond will meet you there."

* * *

_~Medical Bay, Ward 3~_

* * *

Ward 3 was quiet compared to Wards 1 and 2 – those were in a state of orderly chaos, with Brainy shouting orders and shooing nurses to the second ward to help the less critically injured Thanagarians.

Mekt could see the commotion through the glass. Ayla was standing a distance from him, spotting Gaia hovering over the cyrochamber of the Thanagarian Ambassador as it was opened.

"You need to get check-ups," Lightning was explaining to Phantom Girl as they entered the ward. The Bgztlian was nestled in a hoverchair and looked very grumpy. "But...clearly that will happen later."

"I wish I didn't have to sit in this thing," she grumbled, struggling to get comfortable. "I can walk."

"It makes Ultimatum feel better," Lightning said. Phantom Girl huffed then turned her attention to their new arrivals.

"Voltage, Dragonwing, Mekt – this is Phantom Girl. She'll be our witness because this is very...sensitive," Lightning introduced. "Phantom Girl, Dragonwing is Marya Pai – I knew her when we were kids back in Sovereign. Mekt's been playing double-agent for me – tampering with some equipment Eve wants. And –"

"The fact that she's your sister is obvious," Phantom Girl interrupted, directing her hoverchair forward. "It's nice to meet you, Ayla. I wish we could throw a party, but…" She winced as the noise of chaos from other two wards filtered into the room.

"Yeah, me too."

"So," said Lightning, "Why don't you tell us what you've been getting up to?"

"Wait," Mekt interrupted urgently. "They got the pennitate. I was trying to soak it in a chemical bath..."  
Mekt decided that glaring at his sister and her partner wouldn't endear him to her. "But it didn't take, I don't think. We don't even know what they're going to do with it!"

"They didn't let you in on it?" Voltage asked, somewhat dryly.

Mekt opened his mouth furiously but Lightning cut them off. "Not now! We're on the same side, we're all here – can we _please_ get along? Mekt, we need you to think. You must have heard something."

"All I know is that Eve moved the pennitate retrieval up on the list to top priority."

"Then she's going to use it," Phantom Girl deduced. "Soon."

* * *

_~Medical Bay, Ward 1 (ICU)~_

* * *

Brainy had Devak brought to a private surgery room, recruiting two nurse assistants along the way, and sealed the doors.

"This is a delicate operation," Brainy said as they came in with a cart of antidote supplies.

Shrinking Violet and Gaia set up the berth when Brainy plugged the cryochamber into the socket on the floor.

"Rakurga poison works fast – this cryochamber is damaged somewhat, so it hasn't put the Ambassador in complete stasis. The poison is still moving, but slowly. As soon as we take him out of that cryochamber, it will speed up. Shrinking Violet will be going directly into the body with several shots of the antidote – Gaia will heal from the outside."

"I need him lying flat," Gaia said.

"Then lie him flat," Brainy said. "Nurse Chapel," he said to the human woman, "I need blood samples from the Ambassador. Nurse Whitethorn, I need you to keep everything straight. COMPUTO has checked for me – Starhavenites and Thanagarians _are_ of a similar DNA structure. I'm going to use the Starhavenite antidote and copy its effects to the antidote for Thanagarians. Can you do this?"

The nurses straightened their shoulders and nodded. "Absolutely, sir. We won't let you down."

He actually gave them a small smile. "Excellent." He turned back to his fellow heroes. "COMPUTO, prepare to hook Devak to the system. Gaia, are you at full strength?"

"Not quite."

He frowned. "COMPUTO, I need medical staff to get rejuvenating teas from the kitchens."

_"Yes, sir."_

"And call Diamond up here. Is Nemesis Kid back?"

_"Yes. Nightsun is briefing Saturn Girl and Nemesis Kid and they all en route as we speak."_

"Good," Brainy approved. "Gaia, do your best."

"I will," she said as the cryochamber began to disengage.

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, Miagani Labyrinth~_

* * *

Black Lance and Steel Arrow stepped through a silver portal into the darkness of the central Bat Cave, where Eclipse and Silhouette were hovering over the computer controls. Sonia was working at her small station, fingers flying as she muttered under her breath. Duchess barked loudly, announcing their arrival.

"Black Eternity and Voidfire are cleaning up the last of it," Black Lance reported to the two Generals turned towards them. "And Crescent, Falcon, Vision, Shadowhawk, Echo and Zephyr are informing the police of our withdrawal. They should be stepping up security and things."

"I'm just glad they're reasonable here," Silhouette said behind her mask.

"What's the news?" Steel Arrow inquired.

"Arctic is stabilizing," Eclipse replied. "Red X went back to Star Pavilion to keep an eye on the situation there. The rest of the team is coming – I think the Legion needs all the help they can get."

"Can we call in the international Knights?"

"No," Sonia responded as Alyss rushed by, pushing a cart towards the hangar bay. "New London has some problems as well, they need to stay put. The whole planet is up in arms – Sovereign's just about everywhere."

"Our sectors of the city have been warned," Falcon said as he and Crescent shadowphased into the room.

"So Europe is taken care of..." Eclipse brought up a multidimensional representation of the Earth. "Africa?"

"I've just gotten off the video-link with Sauda – she said they're swamped with Sovereign reports, but they're managing and cooperating with the military on the issue. We haven't checked Australia yet, though," Silhouette said.

"They're fine," Eclipse said. "Dark Ranger takes personal offence to child-stealers after what happened to his brother. He's got a covert team working to unearth a suspected Sovereign hideout in Broome."

"Check anyway!"

"Fine," Eclipse said. "Hey, someone check on the kids."

"We will," said Crescent, taking off her mask and flying out.

"Take off your armor!" Falcon shouted after her as the shadow began to fade back to normal clothes.

"I'm not a little girl, Jazz."

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, Wayne Manor~_

* * *

_"The entire galaxy appears to be up in arms about Sovereign – children are disappearing left and right, through increased security and vigilance has led to the rescue of many of these children. Children are being evacuated to safehouses. Thus far, Neo Gotham appears to have been spared the fate of many of our fellows due to the efforts of our personal protectors; the Knights of Caligine have finally come out of the shadows after several years of protecting the public in relative secrecy and living through the legends and reports of eyewitnesses –"_

The sound of screaming children sounded outside the dining hall door overwhelmed the newscast and he hastily shut off the TV as the announcer said, _"In other news, a currently unidentified Legionnaire has been critically injured today and was immediately rushed to –"_

"Alllll-lan!" Selphie charged through the doorway and skidded around the kitchen table to crash into his legs, followed by the pack of screaming children. The older ones were trying to round up the younger ones and wrestle them into their seats.

"Selph, come back!" Mellie cried.

"Are the Knights gonna protect us?" Selphie asked.

Allan kept forgetting that Selphie had good hearing. "Yes. Yes, they are," he assured the little girl, putting her in her designated seat.

"They have too much energy!" Torrance burst into the room, followed by her partner.

"Oh, hello there. Come to help?" Allan asked, gesturing at the chattering children.

Jasper looked despondent, but Torri brightened. "Sure. Come on, Jazzie, playing with kids is fun."

"Where's Charl?" Devlin asked – the kids still called Adeola Charlotte, or some variation of it.

"Not here," Jasper said. "Who wants to play a game?"

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Ward 1, Medical Bay~_

* * *

"I don't think this is a good idea," Diamond said, studying the rune circle she had drawn around Gaia and Devak. She and Nemesis Kid were hovering anxiously, watching the proceedings carefully.

Gaia was still hovering by Devak's side, her hands shimmering with healing power, closing sores that the poison inflicted. Devak's skin was clearing, but Gaia was becoming more and more pale – as if she were giving Devak her life force, not just healing him.

The circle began to take effect, revitalizing Gaia and restoring her color. She had completely disregarded the tea, afraid to stop the healing process for even a moment. Nemesis Kid and Diamond exchanged looks.

"Well, the healing potion in the runes is helping," Nemesis Kid noted. "It won't help Devak, but it'll keep Gaia on her feet."

_'The Rakurga is being pushed back – the white blood cells are more concerned with it than me.'_ the microscopic Shrinking Violet reported telepathically. _'It's like she's empowering the anti-bodies.'_

"Good," Diamond said.

_'How's Brainy's antidote coming?'_

Nemesis Kid looked over at where the Coluan and his two nurse assistants were hard at work. "Brainy, how's it coming?"

"Well. Very well. Starhavenites and Thanagarians have similar biology, but I need synchronize the antidote with the Ambassador's blood type for it to take."

"Well, hurry it up," Nemesis Kid said. "Gaia's going to need her own hospital bed if she keeps this up."

"Noted."

* * *

_~Medical Bay, Ward 3~_

* * *

"Why is there a criminal in our base?" Cosmic Wave demanded of Voltage, shooting a pointed glare at Mekt as he stepped into the room, closely followed by Saturn Girl and Nightsun.

"I'm Voltage," she said dully, pointing over her shoulder. "I am a girl, Garth's a boy. And I'm wearing all black. How _could_ you confuse us?"

Cosmic Wave blinked, looking at her more closely. "I – I wasn't really looking at you. I just saw ginger hair..."

"Mekt is a _former_ criminal," Garth corrected. "He was being a double-agent for me."

"So willingly?" Cosmic Wave said dryly, glaring at him.

Mekt threw his hands up in exasperation. "Oh for –! Okay, look! – Eve said that if I helped her, she would tell me where Ayla was. And that's the _only_ reason I said yes," Mekt added to his angered sister. "And then Garth came_ a day late –"_

"I'm not a precog, I'm sorry," Lightning muttered.

"– and he said _he knew where Ayla was this whole time!"_

"I did not!" Lightning protested. "Gaia knew. I've only known since a few weeks ago."

"Which was _more_ than enough time to tell me what the hell was going on!" Mekt snapped, glaring at his brother. "And _what_ is with you people and keeping important information a secret!?"

Lightning sighed. "Look, we've all made mistakes, but _crying_ over them isn't going resolve this mess, right now. Which of the items did you manage to tamper?"

Mekt took a moment to think. "The Psi-Jammer, the lightning insulator, and the metability inhibitor gun. I had another piece of equipment on board – a mass–cloaking device – but I didn't have time to modify it. The Assassins probably got it when they boarded my ship."

"What about the pennitate?" Voltage demanded, still glaring at her elder brother accusingly.

"I was soaking it in the chemical solution that would render it impotent, but I just don't know if it was in there long enough..." Mekt pointedly avoided looking at his sister to avoid glaring at her.

"You haven't been the most trustworthy of people for a long time, Mekt," she pointed out. "How was I supposed to know?"

"Maybe if you'd let me _explain_ instead of _knocking me out..."_

"Hey, hey!" Lightning interrupted hastily. "None of that matters now. We're on the same side, remember?"

"Lightning's right," Saturn Girl agreed. "We shouldn't argue – especially not at a time like this."

"Definitely not," Red X concurred, shadowphasing out of nowhere and causing Dragonwing and Mekt to yelp in surprise.

"Do you have to _do_ that?" Cosmic Wave asked pointedly. Red X shrugged.

"It keeps things interesting." He cast a scrutinizing eye over Mekt. "So, this is our little criminal-cum-double-agent?"

Mekt looked annoyed. "I'm sorry – who are you, exactly?"

"He's a friend," Nightsun said hastily. "Mekt, this is Red X from the Knights of Caligine."

Mekt stared. "I thought you guys were myths."

"Not anymore," Red X said. "We just revealed our existence to the government of Neo Gotham. You'll probably be hearing it on the news soon."

"Why would you do that?" Nightsun asked, stunned. "You've been operating in secret for so long..."

Red X turned solemn. "Long enough. We're in the middle of a galactic crisis here, and if the Knights have to throw away our anonymity to help, we'll do it. Now, what's this about pennitate?"

"Mekt stole some pennitate for Eve, but he was soaking it in chemicals to make it useless," Dragonwing informed him. "The Assassins got away with it."

"Mekt, how long was the pennitate soaking for?" Lightning inquired.

Mekt frowned as he considered. "I don't know...three, four hours, maybe."

"That's not long enough," Red X said at once. "Pennitate has to be soaked for at least six hours before it's rendered impotent. At the most, you decreased its volatility – but it could still cause a huge explosion."

Lightning nodded grimly. "We need to find out what Eve wants it for – and fast."

Red X frowned deeply. "Arctic was attacked by Anbar, right?"

"Yes. Not too long ago, I think."

"Why didn't his lightning signature alert you? COMPUTO would have had to pick it up – didn't Brainy program it in?" Red X asked.

"What are you getting at?" Phantom Girl asked.

"If COMPUTO didn't pick up Anbar's huge lightning signature, he must have been cloaked somehow...and how did he heal so quickly...?" Red X seemed to be half talking to himself.

"Does Eve know how to use 'psi-healing'?" Saturn Girl asked cautiously.

Lightning frowned. "Yes...I'm pretty sure she can."

Red X tapped Saturn Girl on the shoulder. "Can we go check on Arctic? I don't like the way I'm thinking right now."

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, the Docks~_

* * *

Black Eternity hovered in the background – specifically, on the roof of a nearby warehouse – being unobtrusive as his brother talked to the local police surrounding him.

"You'll get some wannabe mages and things, people who don't really have the talent for it but try so hard. However, the bigger threat is Sovereign..." Voidfire was saying.

"You think they'll make a deal with Sovereign to get some real power?" an officer asked.

"Definitely."

"And the Jester Queen? What's your opinion on how she'll handle the competition?"

"Poorly. She won't team up with them – too much pride."

Black Eternity tuned out of the conversation. It was entirely too easy to overpower many of the criminals they encountered – at least for him – which was why he often sat out the Knights' battles, unless it was large-scale attacks. This issue with Sovereign was definitely large-scale. He was worried about Gaia, about the Knights, about the children, about Arctic. He felt an...ominous fog casting itself over them and it almost made him...afraid. He could survive the battle – he and his brother – of that he had no doubt.

But the Knights, the Legionnaires...he was not so sure. Especially with Arctic reportedly in the Legion's Medical Bay in need of a blood transfusion.

Lost in his thoughts, he twitched, feeling a movement, a tug from the shadows. _Another Dhavmere..._

He hadn't seen or spoken to another Dhavmere besides his own brother for decades. He turned his head, searching with crimson eyes for any movement.

Voidfire was done with the Gotham Police and he was looking up at Black Eternity questioningly. A moment later, he stepped into the shadows and melted out of Black Eternity's shadow.

"What is it? You sense something?"

"Some_one,"_ the elder Dhavmere corrected.

"I can never come here without tripping your senses."

Black Eternity whipped out his hand, sharp claws out.

"I come in peace and to help," the woman said, stepping out of the shadows of the building, hand extended towards them. She pulled her hood back, letting it fall around her shoulders.

"Cagn," Black Eternity recognized. She looked surprised.

"You already know me."

"You've been away from the community too long," Black Eternity told her. "All Dhavmere should know each other, grandmother(1). Gaia told me your name, but nothing more."

She smiled – but it looked foreign on her face. She had dark curls that fell around her face and wide amber eyes that look too large against her pale skin and her dark blue cloak and dress.

"You're that woman who keeps stalking the Legion," Voidfire said.

"I am. But I fear I am nearing the end."

Voidfire and Black Eternity exchanged looks. "You've come because of Sovereign," Black Eternity said.

"I have."

"Why do you say that your end is near?" Voidfire asked. Despite her seemingly-young appearance, both brothers could tell that she was old indeed, even though she looked to be the equivalent of a human in their 40s – slightly lined face, black hair that was not quite gray but was getting there.

"I'm old, unlike you two," she said. "So old, I do not even know your names and haven't been home in centuries."

"Enough," Black Eternity snapped. "You are here for a reason, not just because you are lonely."

"Cerah!" Voidfire hissed, jabbing his brother in the ribs. "Be nice!"

"No, no – your brother is right," said Cagn. "I believe this would be the best time to remove your children from the Manor – Sovereign would like them for themselves."

Upon hearing this, both of them would have taken off immediately, if an explosion hadn't rocked the harbor. The three Dhavmere whirled around, horrified to see glowing runes etched in gleaming light on the water and on the ground and in the sky.

Black Eternity glared at her, furious. "They _tracked_ you!"

"I'm sorry," Cagn apologized, looking sad.

"You _are_ old," Black Eternity sneered before he catapulted over the building.

Voidfire scratched his head. "Well, you'd better help us out of this mess," he suggested, before following after his brother.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Ward 1, Medical Bay; 22:43~_

* * *

"Brainy, how much longer?" Nemesis Kid asked urgently, watching Gaia sway on the spot as she sent another burst of healing energy into Devak's body.

"Not much," Brainiac 5 replied, shaking the liquid in his test tube and observing its texture critically.

"Define 'not much'," Diamond said, keeping a careful eye on the sustaining runes glowing on the floor around the Ceran. "Gaia can't keep this up much longer."

"Just a few more minutes," Brainy promised, hurriedly adding a few drops of some chemical into the test tube.

"Hear that, Gaia?" Shrinking Violet, who had returned to full size, said encouragingly. "Just a few more minutes. You can do it!"

Gaia grunted, clearly exhausted. Her brow was taut, her skin slick with sweat, and her body was shaking with the strain of keeping Devak alive. She would have passed out ages ago if it hadn't been for Diamond's spell and frequent infusions of Ceran herbal tea. As it was, she was on her last legs.

Under her hands, Devak groaned; despite some early success and Gaia's best efforts, the Rakurga poison had been steadily gaining ground in his system – everything now depended on how fast Brainy could perfect the antidote.

"Brainy!" Violet exclaimed, as Gaia finally gave in to her fatigue and slumped unconscious to the floor before Nemesis Kid caught her.

"I have it!" Brainy exclaimed, rushing over with the test tube full of precious antidote. "Open his mouth."

Diamond quickly pried Devak's lips apart so Brainy could tip the contents of the test tube down his throat. Once they'd made Devak swallow, Brainy turned anxiously to check the medical scanners.

The next few seconds were agonizing. Had it been enough? Would the antidote work? What if they were too late? All these questions and a dozen more ran through the minds of the Legionnaires as they waited and prayed for some sign from the monitors that all was well.

"There!" Shrinking Violet cried, heaving a huge sigh of relief as the computer analysis reported the antidote setting to work on the Rakurga.

"You did it, Brainy!" Diamond was ecstatic.

"No," the Coluan disagreed, looking over at where Nemesis Kid was gently laying Gaia on a gurney bed that the nurses had rushed in. "Gaia did."

* * *

_End Episode 7.4_

(1) Cagn is of no relation to Black Eternity and Voidfire; the use of the word 'grandmother' by Black Eternity is merely a term of respect.


	24. Episode 8 Part 1: Tension

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 8: Casualties of War – Part 1: Tension

_Song: Friendship To Last – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

_April 1st, 3011_

_~Star Pavilion, Ward 1, Medical Bay; 12:30~_

* * *

Devak felt as if his limbs had been cooked over a slow fire and his body was made of lead. He slowly lifted his head and found that he was covered in sheets, lying on his stomach.

"What...?"

"You're awake."

Devak turned over and slowly sat up, tossing the covers aside and looking up at Brainiac 5, who was watching him with interest.

"What happened?" he asked. The last thing he remembered was fighting off Sovereign soldiers... "Where is Panarsa?"

"Better off than you," Brainy said, sounding dry. "You were nearly in Death's Paradise. Hit with a spike of Rakurga."

Devak's eyes widened. "And you have an antidote for that?"

"No, I did not, not for a Thanagarian. It's really Gaia who saved your life."

"Gaia?"

Brainy nodded. "She can heal people other than herself, it seems – she kept the poison back while I mixed an antidote. She passed out afterwards." Brainy refrained from telling him that she had been trying to heal her critically injured partner before that.

"Is she all right?"

Brainy let a smile quirk his lips. "When I went to check on her last night, she was arguing with Lightning. Weakly, but arguing. Apparently he made something that she refused to drink on the grounds that it would poison her worse than Rakurga ever could."

Devak chuckled weakly. "Can I see her?" he asked. Brainy raised an eyebrow. "It's very important."

"Oh?"

"It's about her parents."

Brainy's eyebrow arched higher in visible surprise. "I was under the impression she was orphaned."

"Which means she is an excellent actress," Devak pointed out.

Brainy hummed and closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again. "I'll be back," he said shortly. "I'll send Panarsa in." He hid a faint smile as Devak sighed.

* * *

After inquiring of her suitemates, Brainiac 5 found Gaia in the Arborium, standing at the edge of the artificial lake with a tray of empty bowls and cups beside her, watching her own reflection. She was still a little pale, and a bit more gray looking than he would have liked but she had a faster recovery time than many nonmeta humans. Lightning had dragged his feuding reunited siblings off to see Madame Sigmund – a rare moment of voluntary visitation – leaving Gaia to her own devices, which usually consisted of _not_ staying in bed. Brainy landed silently next to her, knowing she knew he was there.

"Well?" she asked brusquely, leaving Brainy no room to make a quip.

"Devak's awake. He wants to see you."

"Arner?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

"He's not awake yet." Brainy frowned as the Ceran growled in frustration. "Careful," he warned.

"What?"

"Humans have a metagene that allows them to develop extra abilities. That gene is either activated or it is not. But Cerans are different. When a human metagene is activated, their powers stay the same but evolve. But yours...they could mutate entirely."

"Excuse me?" she questioned, half-expecting the Coluan to say "April Fool" at any moment even though she knew he didn't do pranks.

Brainy shrugged casually. "It's something I noticed. Your healing powers – being used so often on fatal wounds that are not your own for the last few days – your chemical composition could be changing the nature of your powers so you _can_ heal such wounds without damaging yourself."

Gaia turned to look at him in alarm. "I'm mutating?"

"It's not bad. It may be beneficial to you in the long run." He said no more on the subject, instead telling her, "Go. I think Devak has something important to tell you."

Gaia just stared blankly. He dropped this bombshell on her – 'Oh, by the way, your powers might be mutating' (when she needed them to stay stable the most) and then expected her to just _leave_.

Brainy rolled his eyes and turned her around with his hands, chuckling when she wriggled away from his touch.

"Have you gone mad?" Gaia demanded.

"You can say it's stress. Go – he refuses to rest again until he speaks to you."

Gaia huffed and lifted into the air, wondering what urgent message the Ambassador had to pass on to her this time.

"No flying."

"What?! Look at me – I'll never get there if I walk!"

Brainy rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to carry you instead?"

"I'll walk," Gaia said hastily.

* * *

_~Anna Sigmund's Office~_

* * *

Anna Sigmund nearly dropped her bag when she saw not one but _three_ lightning-wielders sitting in her office-waiting room and her droid assistant hiding under the desk. She hadn't seen a Legionnaire in weeks – except by videolink.

It was fairly easy to recognize the platinum-blond male on Lightning's left – the Ranzz brothers' conflict at the 3009 Interplanetary Games had been widely televised. The ginger-haired girl who looked like Lightning could only have been Ayla. All three were dressed in civilian clothes, even, surprisingly, Lightning – who usually came to therapy in uniform.

Ayla noticed her first, and prompted her brothers to look up too. To Anna's shock, Lightning smiled at her and stood.

"Hey, Madame Sigmund."

"Is this some sort of April Fool's Day trick?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"April Fool's Day?" Mekt whispered to Lightning incredulously, exchanging a confused look with Ayla, who merely shrugged.

"It's a _very_ old Earth holiday, don't worry about it," Lightning dismissed, chuckling at his siblings' confused expressions.

"You're smiling," Anna noted, not bothering to hide her surprise as she led the way to her office. "I've heard about the situation with the Neo Kobra Cult springing up again."

"Something like that," Lightning said agreeably. "This –"

"Lemme talk, Garth – it's a simple pleasure," his sister interrupted. "I'm Ayla, his twin sister, and this idiot" – she slung an arm around Mekt's neck and pulled him down to her shorter level – "is our older brother, Mekt."

"Hi," he muttered, looking awkward and trying to avoid Anna's eyes.

"We've got some family issues to sort out," Ayla explained.

Anna waved them into her office and the siblings looked around in wonder at the unique interior decor. Anna smiled wryly.

"After so many years of your delightful brother electrocuting my office I finally decided to invest in a special room for metabeings," she explained. "Though I had to have those metal panels replaced last week." She pointed at the ceiling.

"I never pegged Cos for the type to need anger management," Lightning muttered as Mekt cautiously sat down in the metal chair. It reclined back and he sighed.

"Hey, this is actually pretty comfortable."

"Of course," said Anna. "I had Brainiac 5 help me with this room. You lightning-wielders aren't the only ones who need it." She took her place on her lightning-insulated chair.

"Geez, Garth! I'm surprised she puts up with you with the grief you give her," Ayla scolded.

"Don't worry, Ayla," Anna said with a smile. "I'm used to it. I handle all sorts of law-enforcement personnel – metabeings are just the most challenging to deal with sometimes. Now, you can start wherever you like."

The trio lapsed into a comfortable-awkward silence. Anna got the feeling that Lightning wanted his siblings to speak first.

After a long pause – during which it was obvious that Mekt was the most uncomfortable – Anna leaned forward. "You mentioned family problems," she said carefully.

Mekt sat up and Ayla did too, cutting across his speech and launching into a tirade. "Family problems – who _doesn't_ have them? The problem with these two is that they lack the ability to _communicate!_"

"I communicate!" Garth protested; Ayla flapped a hand at him.

"But not with _Mekt_ – not _civilly,_" she added as Mekt opened his mouth. "It's always been this way – I was honestly hoping that you two would bond since I wasn't around anymore – but at the same time I knew this would happen! _Years_ of silent treatment!?" she questioned pointedly.

"You electroshocked me _unconscious!_" Mekt exclaimed. "Who can't communicate!?"

"Okay, I was being rash," she admitted, and Mekt stared at her for a moment before jabbing a finger at his brother.

"Besides, if Garth hadn't been so busy being mysterious and giving cryptic answers..."

"How could I be mysterious!?" Garth exploded. "I didn't even know where Ayla was! Speaking of which..." He pointed in Ayla's direction. "It's not as if you're _blameless_ here! You stayed behind on a planet of psychos who wanted to brainwash you _without_ telling me what you meant to do!"

"Adi was supposed to tell you! How was I supposed to know you'd get separated? I was afraid you would stop me – and then what would be the point of giving the rebellion hope by escaping?"

"All we had was each other and you chose to go _alone!?_" Garth yelled at her. "Zen and Iduna _died_ that night, Ayla! Maybe if –"

Ayla's voice rose to a scream, lightning sparking in her eyes as she shot out of her seat, pointing angrily as lightning threatened to emit. "Don't you _dare_ pin that on me! We buried 'em proper – no way were we gonna let Eve and her sickos torture their bodies like they were still alive!"

Anna carefully kept her face passive, but inside she was horrified. What had _happened_ to this family? Who had committed such a crime against them? _Crimes._ Plural. What people...? Anna took a slow breath.

"Very good," Anna interrupted, prompting the Ranzz siblings to stare at her like she was insane. "You're all frustrated with the secrets you kept – but the question here is: why did you keep them?"

"To protect Garth!" Ayla said immediately.

Garth turned his gaze away from the group, his voice low. "To protect the Legion and Mekt."

"I didn't keep any secrets!" Mekt exclaimed.

"But you didn't communicate!" Ayla accused, pointing at Mekt

"Need I remind you _you're_ the one who electroshocked me into unconsciousness?"

"Well, you're communicating now," Anna pointed out. "Sit back down, everyone – and put the sparks away," she added sternly.

They obeyed, letting the instinctive lightning vanish back into their skin. Anna nodded her approval.

"Good," she said. "The first thing you need to remember is that the key to communication is not blasting each other with lightning whenever you're angry."

Mekt gave Ayla a significant look, slanting his eyes over in her direction; she ignored him.

There was a moment's silence as they all calmed down. Then Anna spoke again.

"Mekt, you're the oldest here. And you have no twin – you must have felt very lonely on a planet where the majority of the population has a best friend from birth."

"How did you –"

"I know a little about you from my sessions with Garth," she admitted. "What affects one of you affects all of you, especially in this case. Mekt, tell me about yourself. Let everything out. No one will judge you."

Mekt scoffed and got a biff in the shoulder from Garth.

"We've all screwed up, Mekt," he reminded him. "I nearly got myself killed by a psycho, remember?"

"What?" Ayla questioned.

"Anbar," Garth told her shortly, not wanting to go into detail.

"WHAT!?"

"I'll tell you later."

Anna cleared her throat to interrupt Ayla's reply – she was clearly enraged but kept it in check for the moment – and nodded at Mekt to speak. He stared down at this hands for a moment (a long moment), as if trying to sort his thoughts.

"We have a big family...I used to play at being twins with a cousin of mine who was a singleton too..." He stopped. "I don't think I'm really comfortable with the group therapy thing..."

Ayla shot him a glare as Anna nodded understandingly.

"That's all right, Mekt. We're here to work out your problems with your family, but you can't do that if you're confused." She looked at Garth and Ayla. "Do you mind if Mekt talks with me alone?"

Ayla opened her mouth in protest, but Garth cut her off. "No problem, Doc," he stood and tried to tug Ayla out of her seat. "Ayla," he said with a hint of a frown around his mouth.

His twin sister grumbled but rose and ambled out the door; Lightning followed behind to make sure she went and closed the door behind them with a wave.

Anna turned her attention back to Mekt.

"What did Garth tell you?" Mekt asked.

"That's not important. I want _you_ to talk to me. Start from wherever you feel comfortable. Just talk."

Mekt fidgeted for a few moments, then threw his hands up. "Our family isn't _normal!_" he blurted out. "People look at us weird because we have, what – four, five singletons – our aunt Olane can get hit by lightning thirty times and remain not only alive, but unscathed – and another branch is a bunch of armsdealers!"

"Are they criminals?"

"No! _I'm_ the one who went off the deep end!"

Anna just nodded slowly as Mekt slumped back in his chair again. "Tell me about your family."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Ward 1, Medical Bay; 12:52~_

* * *

When Gaia arrived, shuffling her feet, Panarsa was reading a report to Devak in an attempt to make him stay in bed. Devak saw Gaia enter first and raised his hand in greeting, prompting his assistant to turn to look at the new arrival.

"Vanguardian Gaia," Panarsa greeted. "Though, maybe you're Legionnaire Gaia now?"

"I've worked with so many groups, it's hard to keep track of titles." Gaia grinned ruefully.

"You've lived quite the exciting life for one so young," Devak noted.

"A little _too_ exciting, I think," Gaia said as Panarsa stood. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt?"

"Not at all. I was reading reports to make him stay in bed – otherwise he would have gone looking for you himself, and we can't have that."

Gaia fixed the Ambassador with a stern look. "After all the time I spent healing you, you'd ruin my good work?"

Devak had the grace to look sheepish – she _had_ passed out keeping him alive, after all – as Panarsa ducked out of the room. "Forgive me..." he began; but he was cut off by a laugh.

"What kind of ambassador are you, allowing yourself to be scolded by a girl who's not even of legal age yet?" Gaia chortled.

"Legal age," he muttered dryly, with a light chuckle that ended in a cough. "You saved the galaxy from war, and you saved my life. I don't think it matters how old you are. You and your friends have been forced to take on burdens that your older counterparts would attempt to foist on others."

"_You_ didn't," she pointed out.

"Yes, well..." He closed his eyes briefly. "I've made my share of mistakes."

"Only gods are perfect," Gaia said.

"Do you believe in them?"

The girl just hummed and for a brief moment, and he was reminded that she was just a teenager – legally. They were silent for a moment, until Gaia spoke again.

"You wanted to speak to me? I'm sure you have more to say than just idle chit-chat."

How could he forget?

"Of course. You see that bag?" Devak flapped a hand at the bag hanging from a hook above the bed. "There's something in it. It's for you."

Gaia raised an eyebrow at him but took the bag down its hook and sat down in the chair Panarsa had vacated. "Don't you think –" She stopped, peering into the bag and suddenly plunged her hand in, yanking out a slim metal case. It was engraved with Ceran glyphs and symbols which Devak could only assume meant something very important, judging by her expression.

Gaia stared at the case blankly. "This is Ceran-made...this is my grandmother's! Where did you get this!?"

"Your mother."

Gaia's eyes widened in shock. "Is she okay? What about Dad? When did this happen?"

Devak waved his hands in protest to stop the onslaught of questions and looked sheepish. "Panarsa and I were looking through Quain's Yla's personal files when your name came up –"

"Oh, I know that already," Gaia said dismissively. "Casimir told me you got permission to look at my private records but he didn't say what you were planning to do with that information."

"I went to visit your parents," he explained. "I wanted to recruit their aid."

Gaia clicked her tongue. "You could have just asked me – I could have told you they wouldn't come."

"They won't – but they are working with the Astral Vanguard to coordinate resistance against Sovereign."

"I should've known." Gaia stroked the cover of the metal case, fingering the carved Ceran glyphs wistfully.

"Open it," Devak urged.

Gaia hesitated a moment longer before undoing the catch on the case and flipping the lid open.

Inside, nestled on dark velvet, rested an exquisite silver hair comb encrusted with gorgeous sapphires, whose dark blue hue reflected the light beautifully. The teeth of the comb had obviously been wrought by some of the finest metalworkers, for they were slender and lovely and gently curved without being too sharp or hard, yet they were still firm. The quality of the gems embedded in the spine of the comb was top-class, cut expertly and polished until they shone. Gaia's breath left her in an awed whoosh as she took in the marvelous comb.

"_Ilzna_(1), it's beautiful!" she gasped, looking up at Devak. "My mother wanted you to give this to me?"

Devak nodded, gratified to see the wonder on her face. "They meant to give it to you on your twelfth birthday, but they forgot."

Joyful tears sprung to Gaia's eyes; she hastily wiped them away. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "You don't know what this means to me."

And then she did what Devak had vowed he would make her do since the moment he'd come to know who she was: she smiled, a wide, proper, genuine smile.

* * *

_~13:35~_

* * *

Gaia was still thinking about the beautiful comb when she shuffled into the spare warchamber the Thanagarians had commandeered on the tenth floor of the Pavilion.

"Did you speak to him?" Panarsa queried, looking up from her holopad. Gaia nodded.

"I did," she affirmed. "Brainiac 5 has some instructions for you, though."

"Oh?" Panarsa quirked one eyebrow upwards.

"What instructions?" Volakan asked.

"As you know, Ambassador Devak is very stubborn," began Gaia. Volakan snorted; Panarsa made a wry, but fond, noise of assent. "Brainiac 5 has given strict directions that he is not to be allowed out of bed until the Rakurga has completely worked its way out of his system – and even then, he needs to be monitored carefully to make sure there are no lingering after-effects. Brainy's charging you with the responsibility to make sure he doesn't do anything to impede his recovery process."

"He's not going to like that very much," Volakan observed.

"He doesn't have to like it," Panarsa said. "He doesn't have a choice."

"No, he doesn't," Gaia agreed.

Just then there was a violent commotion from outside the room. Gaia, Volakan, and Panarsa all looked out the door to see Cosmic Wave, Ricochet, and Ultimatum furiously chasing Chameleon Boy down the corridor. All three Legionnaires looked very...pink.

"REEP!" roared Cosmic Wave. "GET _BACK_ HERE, YOU LITTLE RAT!"

"Save some of him for me, Cos!" Ultimatum, following behind, called.

Ricochet was the last to run by, muttering mild obscenities under his breath. "Stupid April Fool's Day...why the _hell_ hasn't it been outlawed yet..."

"What in the name of Rozan(2) was that?" Volakan wondered.

Gaia giggled. "I think Cham put pink paint in the apartment showerheads."

Volakan frowned. "Why would he wish to do something so bizarre?"

"April Fool's," Gaia explained. "It's an Earth celebration, sort of, when people play pranks on each other."

As if to add extra emphasis to her statement, there was a squeal from the end of the hallway as Cham's pursuers finally caught up with him.

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, East District; 14:00~_

_Song: Nameless Heroes – Audiomachine_

* * *

Echo Cipher shadowphased back into existence behind Captain Adder and gave him a swift kick in the back. The Neo Kobran snarled and twirled his electrified whip towards her, but Echo leaped out of the way and faded from existence again as Zephyrclaw dealt punches and blows to the three Boomslangs Adder had brought with him.

"Stay away from Neo Gotham," Zephyrclaw warned, knocking out a Boomslang.

"Surrender the Dhavmere Cagn to us, and we will leave you in peace," said Adder.

"You expect us to believe that?" Echo Cipher asked as she reappeared and tripped up the last of Adder's contingent. Now only the Captain himself was left conscious. "If I were you, Adder, I'd get myself some proper backup."

Adder scowled at the prone forms of his Boomslangs. ~Sade, teleport us.~

_~What? Again?~_ came the irritated mental voice of the teleporter. _~Can't you do anything right?~_

_~It's not my fault these Boomslangs are so pathetic.~_ Adder snapped. _~Cagn is not here. Now teleport us.~_

He was gone before Echo and Zephyr could react.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Warchamber, Level 10~_

* * *

Red X paced the circumference of the warchamber as the Legion's mages and psychics – Saturn Girl, Princess Projectra, Alchemist, Diamond, Dream Girl, and Nemesis Kid – conferred over the table. They had finally convened after trying to get them all since late last night, but they'd been here for hours and all they were talking about was Arctic's mental state and a lot psyche- and magic-related technical jargon that went over his head. He got the impression that they were talking about Eve's level of power or something.

"Arctic's mental and physical condition is stable, but his mind was clearly tampered with while he was distracted," Saturn Girl was explaining. "But the psychic tampering was cleverly masked –"

Red X whirled around. "Wait, is that what you've been trying to say this whole time?"

The Legionnaires looked him, puzzled. "Yes?" Alchemist said, sounding uncertain.

"Eve used Anbar as a distraction so she could access Arctic's mind more freely," Diamond explained. "The lightning shock weakened the psionic barrier provided by the shadow crest."

Red X froze for a moment. "Do you know how much she got?"

"No."

He turned on his heel. "I'm going to borrow Umbra."

"What for?" Princess Projectra asked.

"What shadow-users do best – infiltration and sabotage."

* * *

_~Bat Cave, Miagani Labyrinth; 14:32~_

* * *

Black Eternity stalked into the cave, glowering ferociously.

"Whoa, Cerah – calm down," Voidfire said, hastily jumping between his brother and Cagn, who was seated in a chair radiating regret.

"There's been another attack," Black Eternity informed him.

"I know – Echo and Zephyr reported in."

"They are looking for you," Black Eternity shot at Cagn.

"I'm sorry," the blue-cloaked woman apologized. "Truly, I am. I merely wanted to help."

"You should have stayed away. Neo Gotham is suffering because of your misjudgement."

"You need my help to move the children where Sovereign won't find them," Cagn snapped. "Without me, Eve's hunters would find them within a week."

"We would have –"

"Cerah," Voidfire warned. "She's right. We don't know anything about Sovereign except what Gaia told us. If the Legion needs all the help they can get, so do we."

Black Eternity's eyes narrowed to slits. "Why do they want you?" he asked. Cagn sighed.

"Eve doesn't like it when people escape from Sovereign, especially if they interfere with her other plans."

Voidfire looked at her. "You are a Sovereign escapee?"

"I was the first. Since then, I have been helping others like me. I've been watching Lightning and Gaia for a very long time now."

Black Eternity's gaze snapped to her, his shrewd mind realizing something. "You were the one who warned Gaia about Quain Yla at the Ambassadorial Summit."

Cagn inclined her head. "I've been protecting her and Garth whenever I can, and doing my best to aid Voltage and the other Outriders on Guruhi. I sent them information, battle plans, strategies – anything I could think of. Voltage and Dragonwing were able to get off Guruhi with my help once Eve left."

"And now?"

"Now, I'm committed to seeing this war through. It's time Sovereign was brought down."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Level 3; 23:36~_

* * *

Timber Wolf was acutely aware of his stomach growling as he made his way down to the kitchens. He hadn't had anything to eat all day; the mission to Murgador had been a complete failure. Invisible Kid II, acting on what he claimed were 'orders from the top', had sent him, Kinetix, and Gates to look for three missing children – no doubt nabbed by Sovereign hunters – simply because they were the only ones free.

He had a sneaking suspicion that the mission was just an excuse to keep him busy, and therefore not able to hang around Phantom Girl's door for hours on end until one of the nurses, Brainiac 5, or Shrinking Violet made him go to bed. (During the mission he recalled Kinetix saying to Gates when they _thought_ that they were outside his hearing range that what he was doing was 'creepy'. It hit a sore spot with him; he was concerned about Phantom Girl's health – what was wrong with that? Or was this another 'boundary' thing he needed to learn about?)

In any event, the mission was doomed from the start. They'd reached Murgador twenty-four hours too late. Timber Wolf had tried to track the missing kids, but the trail had gone cold after thirty meters.

Halfway down the corridor, he bumped into two girls he hadn't seen before – one was ginger-haired and dressed entirely in black; the other was a brunette, and she was wearing dark green. The ginger-haired one waved at him as they passed; Timber Wolf eyed her warily. He didn't have to be a telepath to figure out that she was related to Lightning somehow – their scents were almost identical.

_More secrets._ When would it end?

He continued on his way and eventually reached the kitchen. His stomach rumbled again as he pulled the door open. Lightning was inside, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him. The Legion Leader looked worn and haggard.

"Oh, hey, Wolf," Lightning greeted half-heartedly as Timber Wolf entered. "How did the mission go?"

"It didn't." Timber Wolf trooped to the pantry to find something – anything – to eat. The meat pie looked good.

"What happened?"

"We got there too late. The trail went cold." He swiped the pie and heated it up in the high-speed cooker; while he waited for it to come out he poured himself a glass of juice from the fridge. Then he took the pie and juice and sat at the table, opposite from Lightning.

Lightning sighed in frustration. "It's getting worse," he said, half to himself. "Neo Gotham's being targeted more now – the Knights are worried about the kids in the Manor."

Timber Wolf nodded absently, chewing a big mouthful of pie. Despite his conversation with Phantom Girl about secrets, he still didn't feel like he could completely trust Lightning after everything the Winathian had kept from the Legion.

"I saw someone outside," he commented. "She looks a lot like you – are you related?"

A soft smile appeared on Lightning's face. "Ayla," he explained. "She's my sister."

"You have a sister?"

Lightning nodded. "She was at Sovereign with me. She stayed behind while Gaia and I escaped. I haven't seen her in years."

Timber Wolf took a moment to keep his feelings of resentment in check. "You have a lot of secrets."

"It was necessary." Lightning didn't seem to notice the dangerous note in Timber Wolf's voice.

"Was it?" Timber Wolf's eyes had narrowed; the tone was accusing.

Lightning noticed now. "What are you implying?" he questioned.

"People shouldn't keep secrets from their teammates," Timber Wolf told him curtly. "Especially not ones as big as Sovereign. It hurts the team."

"I did it to _protect_ my team!" Lightning retorted, getting angry. "You think I _wanted_ to keep it all secret? There were times when I wished I could just let it all out to somebody – anyone who could make it just a little bit better."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because it would have been too dangerous!"

"A team is built on _trust,_" Timber Wolf pointed out. "Or at least, that's what Phantom Girl keeps telling me. If we can't trust each other, we can't work together."

"You _can_ trust me!"

"Can I?" he asked archly.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Lightning fumed.

"Look at everything that's happened, Lightning," snapped Timber Wolf as he hit the table with his palms and stood over the Winathian. "We've been attacked by Sovereign when we had no idea who we were dealing with...Phantom Girl got hurt – Arctic and Devak were almost killed and Gaia nearly died saving them both! If you'd told us about this earlier, we would've known – we would've been more prepared – and maybe none of this would've happened!"

"Or maybe things would have gotten _worse_ and despite our planning they'd have found other ways to counter us!" Lightning retorted. "You think life's so simple, don't you? Be honest about yourself at all times and nothing bad happens, right? Well, I've got news for you Wolf – this _isn't_ the jungle where everything is merely a contest for food or territory – this is a _real-life_ war we're dealing with now and the stakes are far greater than 'if we lose we're just gonna die'! If we lose, everyone we are sworn to _protect_ is going to be free game for these monsters to exploit! _Nath_, listen to yourself!" Lightning exclaimed, shooting to his feet so quickly his chair fell to the floor with a loud crash. "You're a real hypocrite, you know that?"

"_Hypocrite?_" Timber Wolf repeated furiously.

"Yes! You're having a go at _me_ for keeping secrets when _you're_ keeping a pretty big one yourself!"

"_My_ secrets don't affect the team!"

"Really?" challenged Lightning. "What if your psychotic father comes looking for you? What then? Or if he takes someone like Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, or Phantom Girl, and uses one of _them_ as his next test subjects? Wouldn't _that_ affect the team? And while we're at it, why don't you tell me if you've got any other psychopaths in your family that we don't know about? Who knows – maybe you've got a serial killer uncle, or a mad tyrant of a grandmother? We wouldn't know, would we? You've barely been here _three months!_"

"That has _nothing_ to do with what's happening now!" Timber Wolf shot back heatedly. "I can understand not wanting to talk about your past – but you took it to the point where it became dangerous! And how _dare_ you accuse me of keeping important secrets? I know all too well what can happen if someone keeps a secret that should be told. If and when my secrets ever look like they'll affect the team, I'll come clean immediately."

Lightning snorted. "Do you really? You haven't faced a situation like this before, have you? It's not as easy as you make it sound. I'd like to see you deal with everything I've been dealing with."

"Is that a challenge?"

"_Yes._"

Timber Wolf snarled as his claws started to lengthen, drawing blood from his pierced palms while his fists shook. Sparks danced around Lightning's fists and eyes. Had they been left alone for another minute, their argument would have escalated into a full-blown fight. However, before they could attack each other, a shrill scream shattered the night.

"Gaia," Lightning said, recognizing her voice at once.

Lightning threw one last, smoldering glare at Timber Wolf.

"We'll settle this later," he promised. Then he raced off to find Gaia.

Timber Wolf growled, looking darkly after him. For a moment, his eyes flashed a dull orange before reverting back to their normal gold color as he followed Lightning's steps.

* * *

_End Episode 8.1_

(1) Ilzna – Ceran Goddess of precious metals and gems  
(2) Rozan – one of the Great Old Ones who is said to have ruled the skies and granted the Thanagarians flight and freedom. He is noted to be a far more compassionate God than Icthulu. Not many Thanagarians are religious, and those that are prefer to keep their faith to themselves to avoid unnecessary hostility (the atheists or agnostics would use often that term to signify that they don't care about using a god's name in vain), leading to a common misconception that every Thanagarian is either an atheist or agnostic. Rozan is a combination of two names for separate deities, more specifically Tane-rore (Māori personification of shimmering air) and Izangi (Japanese creator of the world and sky father).


	25. Episode 8 Part 2: Attack

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)

_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_

_Written by Peonywinx, with assistance from Dranzer's Inferno_

_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**_The Legion of Superheroes: Areté __Saga_**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 8:Casualties of War – Part 2: Attack

_Song: All Or Nothing – Brand X Music_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~Star Pavilion, Apartment D; 00:07~_

* * *

Gaia met Lightning and Timber Wolf at the entrance to Apartment D, looking terrified. She gripped Lightning's arm with more urgency than he'd ever seen her display, even at Sovereign, and spoke before he had the chance to say a single word, her voice full of dread.

"Garth, it's the Manor! Eve's going to use the pennitate to attack Wayne Manor!"

"What? How do you know that?"

"I had a dream...a nightmare...but it's more than that, I know it is!" Gaia exclaimed. "Remember that telepath who helped us on Guruhi – the one who worked with Cagn?"

"Katonda?" Lightning asked.

"Yes, him! I think he's been sending me visions, trying to warn me, and I think that's why I have so many nightmares. We have to get to Wayne Manor!"

"Call the Knights and warn them; I'll prep the cruiser," Lightning instructed, already moving. A second later, he propelled himself out with his lightning.

Gaia all but ignored a confused but wary Timber Wolf in her desperate attempt to warn her teammates as she raced to the hangar herself. _~Sil, Eclipse! The Manor's going to be attacked! Get the kids out!~_

_~WHAT?!~ _came Eclipse's horrified voice.

_~When?~ _Silhouette demanded.

_~I'm not sure. Soon. Where are you?~_

_~New Metropolis.~ _Silhouette said grimly.

_~What?! Why are you in New Metropolis?!~_

_~Long story.~_

_~Well, who's at the Manor?~ _Gaia demanded.

_~Just Falcon and Crescent.~ _Eclipse reported solemnly, dead serious. _~And Alyss and Sonia.~_

_~That's IT? Where the hell is everyone else?~_

_~Patrols, missions – most of us are in New Metropolis tracking down leads on Neo Kobra; Black and Void are the only other ones in Neo Gotham – they're at the docks trying to stop a Sovereign raid with Cagn.~_

At this Gaia stopped short in the hallway, her brain going into overdrive. _~Cagn is HERE?~_

_~Gaia, focus.~ _Silhouette instructed, taking charge and keeping her head cool. _~Do you know anything else about the impending attack? Who, how, what kind?~_

_~Pennitate.~ _Gaia replied, starting off at a run again and thanking her lucky stars that at this hour everyone was asleep and not roaming the corridors. _~Did X tell you –~_

_~–that Sovereign got it?~ _finished Silhouette. _~Yes, he did. So Sovereign's going to blow up the Manor?~_

_~I think so.~_

_~Then we have no time to waste. Get to Neo Gotham as soon as you can – we'll alert the others.~_

_~Gotcha.~ _Gaia agreed, already deciding to shadowphase all the way back to Neo Gotham even though Garth would kill her for not waiting for him _and _shadowphasing when Brainy had made it perfectly clear she wasn't supposed to until he gave the okay.

_~And on no account are you to shadowphase back.~ _Silhouette added sternly.

_~Come on!_~ Gaia argued. Of course Brainy told them. _~I'll be fine!~_

No, _Gaia. You can't help anyone if you pass out halfway through the shadows.~_

_~Fine, fine. _You_'ll phase back, though, right?~_

_~Wish we could.~ _Eclipse said bleakly. _~But we're up to our necks in Kobras right now.~_

Gaia was alarmed. _~Then how –~_

_~Just get to the Manor, Gaia.~ _Silhouette ordered. _~We'll meet you there when we can.~_

The mental link terminated. Gaia skidded around the corner, only to collide with somebody who was walking from the opposite direction.

"Whoa!" Voltage said, scrambling back to her feet. "Where's the fire?"

Gaia snorted humorlessly. "Wayne Manor. Sovereign's gonna attack it with the pennitate your brother stole."

"What?" Voltage exclaimed in horror.

"I don't have time to explain," Gaia snapped. "I need to get there ASAP."

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

_~Stardrome~_

* * *

Saturn Girl entered the hangar to find Lightning hastily preparing the _Lightray _for flight.

"Garth? What are you doing?"

"Imra!" Lightning looked surprised to see her; she noticed that his eyes were a little wild. "What are you doing up?"

"You woke me when you passed by the apartments with your psychic waves emanating high levels of agitation." She sounded worried. "What's going on?"

Lightning turned back to the cruiser. "Gaia had a vision – the pennitate is going to be used to attack Wayne Manor. We're heading there right now," he explained as succinctly as possible.

"I'll come with you," Saturn Girl offered; Lightning shot her down at once.

"No."

"I can help, Garth."

"I said _no_," he insisted, sliding the last panel into place on the cruiser. "It's too dangerous – we have no idea when it will happen, or how. I need you to stay here."

"I'm a Legionnaire, Garth – I can take care of myself," she retorted.

"Imra –"

"What is your _problem_, Garth?" she demanded angrily. "Ever since this whole Sovereign issue came up, you've been deliberately avoiding me."

"I am not –"

"Yes, you are," she told him. "You're carefully keeping a distance – you won't let anyone in – you insist on doing everything yourself – and now you won't even let me help you!"

Lightning sighed. "Imra..." he began – but once more he was interrupted, this time by the hangar doors as they slid open to admit Gaia and Voltage.

"Is the cruiser ready?" Gaia asked, rushing up to him.

"Yeah – Ayla, what are _you _doing here?"

"Following you," his sister replied. "Don't you dare argue with me, Garth – I lived on Guruhi longer than you, and I still got out unscathed. You do _not _get to tell me it's too dangerous for me."

Lightning looked like he was about to protest, but a glare from Gaia silenced him. "Fine," he grumbled. "You can look after Gaia – who's still _recovering_." Gaia just glared at him before flying onto the ship. "Get on board, quick. Not _you_," he added as Saturn Girl made to follow Gaia and Voltage. She flashed him an annoyed look.

"I'm not staying here, Garth."

"Yes, you are," he disagreed. "That's an order."

Saturn Girl looked outraged. "You can't pull rank on me!"

"I can and I am," he snapped back. "I'm Legion leader until next year – and I'm telling you to _stay put_. You hear me?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, _sir_," she answered stiffly before pirouetting on her heel and walking out. Lightning watched her go with something akin to regret. Voltage came over and smacked him on the head.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she scolded.

"GARTH!" Gaia yelled from the bridge. "We don't have all night! Get _in_!"

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, the Docks~_

* * *

The docks on Neo Gotham's coastline were in chaos. Leviathan and four senior Sovereign cadets – two boys, two girls – had attacked on the stroke of midnight, attempting to work their way into the residential areas a few miles inland, but Black Eternity and Voidfire had thwarted that plan immediately. Cagn was watching from the shadows, but she didn't stay so for long – after she saw that the two Dhavmere were struggling to keep all five Sovereign agents (especially Leviathan) at bay, she ignored Black Eternity's instructions to stay out of the fight and joined in. The battle had reached a stalemate then, as panicked dock workers who had the unfortunate lot to be on the graveyard shift tonight fled out of the way of the battling parties.

Leviathan growled as he slashed a water whip at Cagn. This was not going to plan. His goal was to recruit at least three new cadets for Sovereign, and he was determined to make his 'mother' proud. But clearly, he couldn't get to the inland residential areas anymore – the Dhavmere were making that impossible.

As he cast around for a new idea, a tinkling horn told him that a nighttime cruise ship was coming back into port. Leviathan allowed himself a small smile. Cruise ships meant families, and families meant children.

"Izmu, Hakuya," he called to two of his cadets as he blocked a blow from Cagn. "The cruise ship. Go."

The two cadets nodded and took off, leaving their teammates to handle Black Eternity and Voidfire.

"Have you no shame?" Cagn seethed, lashing out at Leviathan once more. "Those are innocent children you're taking!"

"I'm taking them to a better life," Leviathan retorted, slashing her with a water blade and scoring a cut deep into her robes and skin. "Sovereign Academy will be the best thing to ever happen to them."

"You can't really believe that." Cagn sounded so sure, so sad, that a small seed of doubt took root in Leviathan's mind for a moment before he shook it off.

"Enough," he said, forcing Cagn's head under the water. "I will hear no more lies. Mother knows what she's doing."

"Mother?" Voidfire repeated conversationally, but with an edge of anger, tussling with his opponent, who appeared to have the power of telekinesis. "What kind of mother takes children away from their own!?"

"She's giving them a better life!" Leviathan exclaimed, spinning liquid into Voidfire's face before leaping up and thrashing his spiked tail. "I don't have to explain it to you."

"Good," said Black Eternity. "We don't want to hear it."

An explosion sounded from some way out the port – Black Eternity turned to see the unsuspecting cruise ship on fire. In the light of the flames, he saw the two Sovereign cadets, Izmu and Hakuya, disappearing into the ship. Rage blossomed inside him, and a snarl worked its way out of his throat.

"Cagn, go!" he ordered, kicking at (and missing) the female Sovereign soldier he was fighting. Cagn nodded and disappeared, leaving the water, only to reappear on the deck of the ship.

"She's going to need help," Voidfire pointed out, ducking a projectile.

"As soon as we take care of these cadets, that is what she will get."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you." Leviathan smirked, rising out of the water, his blue skin gleaming in the light from the night lamps.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, New Troy Island; 00:14~_

* * *

Steel Arrow ducked to the side to avoid a knife thrown by one of the Kobra soldiers. Without missing a beat, she withdrew two jagged-edged shuriken from her belt and threw them both single-handedly at the Kobran. The small serrated volleys screamed through the air and thudded into the back wall of a closed restaurant, pinning the Kobra at two different points on his clothes. At the other end of the alleyway, Black Lance was casting portals to avoid the three Neo Kobrans converging on him, stopping only to throw the occasional punch. He managed to knock out one Kobra with his fists alone, but then another snake jumped him from behind before he could portal away. Steel Arrow was about to help when two more Kobras leaped over the wall and grabbed her arms.

And, as fate would have it, that was precisely when she heard Silhouette's voice in her head.

_~Lance, Arrow – there's trouble at the Manor. We need you there ASAP.~_

_~You've gotta be kidding!~ _Steel Arrow exclaimed, elbowing one of her assailants in the gut and trying to wrest away from the other. _~We're fighting off half a dozen snakes here!~_

_~Can you get someone else?~ _Black Lance added, grunting in pain as a Kobra whacked him on the head with a short, heavy rod.

_~I'll try.~_

_~We'll try to get these guys off our tail and shadowphase back.~ _Steel Arrow added.

Out loud, Lance said, "Let's hope we can do it soon."

One of the Kobras fighting Steel Arrow grasped at her neck, grabbing her shuriken-shaped Shadow Crest and breaking the chain that kept it hanging around her neck. Without a moment's hesitation, he threw it into the darkness, provoking an outraged yell from Steel Arrow. She promptly drew a dagger from her leg band and sliced the Kobra's arm, leaving him howling and nursing his wound as she jumped over his partner, looking for her Shadow Crest.

"Hold that thought," she told Lance.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, St. Therese's Center for Youth Welfare~_

* * *

"Hawk, Sovereign cadet on your five o' clock!"

Shadowhawk whirled and sidestepped away just as a maroon phase-blade sliced the air where he'd been two seconds ago. He found himself staring into the blank face of a Sovereign child soldier, brainwashed by the Academy into doing their dirty work for them. She was a young girl, no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with short brown curls and pink cheeks and pretty hazel eyes that were regrettably empty of any sense of self – she'd lost that to Sovereign a long time ago. The sight of her raising her phase-blade again to kill him deeply saddened Shadowhawk.

"You don't want to do this," he coaxed, avoiding another strike. "Please – I don't want to hurt you – there must be some part of yourself you can still find."

Meanwhile, Vision was busy ducking under the punches of a burly teenage boy who was quite obviously from Dryad. Her sight gave her a significant advantage over her adversary, but then she glimpsed two more Sovereign cadets sneaking into the Center. Because of her powers, she knew immediately what they were up to – but seeing that distracted her from her battle with the Dryadian and he managed loop a rocky arm around her neck, cutting off her air supply.

_~Vision, Shadowhawk, SOS at the Manor.~ _Eclipse informed them.

_~We're a little busy.~ _Shadowhawk replied, trying to bypass the Sovereign girl to help Vision.

_~You too?~ _Silhouette asked, sounding worried.

_~Too?~ _Shadowhawk questioned, tripping up the girl and spying a dully-glowing blue device attached to the back of the Dryadian, who was currently strangling Vision. Quickly, he flung a hawk boomerang at the device, bringing his arm up to catch the Sovereign girl's arm as it came down to attack him again as the Dryadian's device shattered.

_~Lance and Arrow are busy too, and so are Black and Void.~ _Silhouette replied.

_~What about Echo and Zephyr?~ _The Dryadian dropped Vision and lumbered backwards slightly, disoriented. Shadowhawk made his way over to his partner. "You okay?"

She nodded, breathing in gulps of air as Silhouette answered, _~Haven't checked in with them yet.~_

"We can't go to the Manor yet," Vision said to Shadowhawk as she rubbed her bruised throat. "There are two more Sovereign cadets – they've gone into the Center to kidnap the kids."

_~You have to stop them.~ _Eclipse said at once. _~We can't let anymore children fall to Sovereign.~_

_~What about the Manor?~ _Shadowhawk asked, frowning as the hazel-eyed girl he'd been fighting suddenly vanished. He looked at Vision, but his unspoken query was answered seconds later when the girl reappeared next to her Dryadian comrade; she touched him on the shoulder and teleported them both away – no doubt back to Sovereign territory where he could be outfitted with a new mind-controlling device.

_~We'll find a way.~ _said Silhouette determinedly.

Vision nodded. "Then let's go." And she and Shadowhawk raced into the building.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, Seafront District~_

* * *

_~Echo, Zephyr!~_

_~What _now_?~ _Echo Cipher demanded, blocking the path of a male Sovereign cadet. At least, she presumed he was male – his dark-skinned body was so androgynous she couldn't be certain.

_~Let me guess.~ _Silhouette said grimly, _~You're busy.~_

_~Hell, yeah!~_

_~What's the matter?~ _Zephyrclaw asked from his position beside Echo.

_~There's going to be an attack on Wayne Manor, but everyone is busy fighting either Sovereign or Neo Kobra. This can't be a coincidence.~_

_~An attack on the Manor?~ _Echo Cipher sounded aghast, exchanging a glance with Zephyrclaw while still keeping an eye on the cadet. _~We'll be right there.~_

_~I thought you just said –~_

_~Never mind what I said!~ _Echo Cipher turned back to the androgynous cadet. "Okay, you – we have somewhere else to be, so I'm through playing cat and mouse. Now come here and let's get you – huh?"

The cadet had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Echo demanded, looking all around. She blinked as she took in her surroundings; this was _not _the Seafront District. Well, it sort of _looked _like it – but at the same time, it wasn't quite. When she couldn't make contact with Silhouette again, it suddenly hit her. "Oh, no...please don't tell me..."

"We're in an alternate dimension," Zephyrclaw supplied.

"I _told _you not to tell me!"

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, Wayne Manor~_

* * *

After ushering the kids to a safe room to be guarded by her mother and Allan, Crescent snooped around the edge of the Manor's vast gardens, careful to stay out of the light.

"Perimeter's clear," she reported quietly.

"_What about the roof?" _Sonia's voice inquired.

"_Clear," _Falcon's Hispanic tone announced. He and Crescent were scouting out every part of the Manor that they could think of, hoping to find the pennitate before it could explode. Sonia was using her cameras to spot any suspicious activity, as well as coordinating both their efforts; Alyss and Allan were subtly getting the kids ready for 'a nighttime outing' to get them out of the house.

"That is not possible," Crescent said. "We've scoured every part of the Manor – if the pennitate's not here, it would have to be in the labyrinth – but how would Sovereign possibly know about the labyrinth?"

Over the comms, Sonia sighed. _"Red X mentioned his theory earlier – when Arctic was fighting Anbar, Eve broke into his mind and discovered our secrets."_

"What?!"

"_That would make sense," _Falcon agreed. _"It would explain how Sovereign and Neo Kobra knew exactly how many members we have and how to lure us out and distract us while they plant the pennitate."_

"_It's a grand master plan." _Sonia's voice was grave. _"Sovereign must really want our kids."_

"Or perhaps Neo Kobra just wants revenge for the Ambassadorial Summit," Crescent muttered.

"_Or both," _Falcon mused.

_~Bad news, guys.~ _came Silhouette's voice. _~You're on your own until someone can make it there.~_

_~You can't be serious!~ _Crescent exclaimed in dismay. _~We have fifteen members – _fifteen _– and not one pair can make it back here?~_

_~Lance, Arrow, Sil, and I are fighting Kobras; Black, Void, Vision, and Hawk are trying to keep Sovereign from taking anymore kids; Arctic's still recovering, Gaia's on the way with Lightning and Voltage; and we've lost contact with Echo and Zephyr.~ _Eclipse explained.

_~Lost contact?~ _Sonia repeated. _~How?~_

_~We're not certain.~_

_~What about Red X?~ _Falcon questioned.

_~He turned off his comm.~ _Silhouette's tone was annoyed and worried at the same time.

_~What?! WHY?~ _Crescent all but yelled.

_~Because,~ _Red X's voice entered the conversation, causing everyone to mentally glare at him, _~I was in the middle of a secret, high-risk operation, and I couldn't have you distracting me.~_

_~WHAT secret, high-risk operation?~ _Silhouette demanded.

_~Let's just say that if I'd made one false move, I'd be shishkebab by now.~_

Silhouette growled across the mental link. _~If we weren't in the middle of a crisis right now, I'd shishkebab you myself.~_

Red X turned wary. _~What crisis?~_

_~The Manor. Pennitate. Get the picture?~ _Sonia didn't have to say anymore.

_~I'm on my way.~_

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, the Docks; 00:46~_

* * *

Lightning, Gaia, and Voltage, on the Legion cruiser, reached Neo Gotham's coast to find Black Eternity and Voidfire furiously duking it out with Leviathan and two Sovereign soldiers – one a telekinetic teenage male Xanthuan, the other a slightly older female with a sparkling body who appeared to have the best luck in the world, judging by the way she never got hit by anything the Dhavmere were throwing at her. Several yards across the bay – the water rippling into choppy waves due to the battle – a medium-sized cruise ship was merrily burning, rocking to and fro on the water.

"They're not doing so good down there," Voltage observed, pressing her face against the glass cruiser window and peering at the battle.

Gaia looked first at the carnage below and the back at Lightning, clearly torn about the best thing to do. Should she help her teammates in this fight, and hope the Manor wasn't struck anytime soon? Or should she trust that the Dhavmere knew what they were doing and go on to reinforce Falcon and Crescent – especially since nobody else would be coming anytime soon?

Her dilemma was solved when Voidfire's pained yell echoed from below, followed by Black Eternity's enraged howl. If Leviathan had managed to land a blow on Void, the two Dhavmere Knights needed reinforcements.

"Garth..." she began.

Lightning was already moving the cruiser to the bay. The instant it stopped, the trio poured out, taking Leviathan and the other Sovereign male by surprise (the sparkling female was miraculously able to twist to the right just as Voltage was about to electrocute her).

"Void, are you okay?" Gaia called in concern, cornering the telekinetic cadet.

"Nothing permanent," the younger Dhavmere replied easily. "It's a minor flesh wound." At his right, Black Eternity growled threateningly at the sparkling cadet who had injured his brother.

Just then another explosion rocked the bay – all five heroes turned to watch the cruise ship dip threateningly beneath the waves. A second later, Leviathan was propelling himself through the water, heading for the ship.

"Gaia, Lightning, go help Cagn evacuate the ship," Black Eternity ordered.

"Cagn?" Lightning repeated incredulously, spinning to look at the ship. "She's _here_?"

"Do you want to hear lengthy explanations or would you rather save some children?" Black Eternity snarled. He swung a well-timed punch at the sparkling girl who danced around them, trying to get in some hits – and missed again. Damn her luck.

"But –" Gaia protested, looking hesitant.

"Go, Gaia. We can handle the cadets," Voidfire assured her as the telekinetic got back up. "Especially with Voltage to help us."

"They won't get near us," Voltage said confidently, her eyes sparking.

Lightning nodded and rose into the air, tugging Gaia's arm. "Come on, Adi. Let's go save the kids."

* * *

Cagn was quietly shadowphasing the people on the ship to the mainland, giving top priority to the kids, as well as keeping a sharp eye out for Izmu and Hakuya, when a sudden jolt shook the entire ship from bow to stern.

"Missed me?" Leviathan asked as he pulled himself onto the lower deck, his scaled body glistening with drops of water.

"Hardly," Cagn replied.

"Mother will be very pleased to have you back with us," Leviathan said.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint her."

"We'll see."

Leviathan flicked his heavy tail towards Cagn, who twirled away and doubled back to hit him, but missed as he twisted under her arm. Cagn pulled two daggers from the folds of her cloak and spun them around, leaving small, stinging cuts on Leviathan's scaly hide. With a roar, he swiped one dagger away with his hand and sent the other hurtling into the depths of the bay.

Cagn, realizing her advantage was gone and remembering her mission on the ship, distracted Leviathan by toppling a heavy gas canister on his tail, and then vanished into the next corridor. An infuriated Leviathan freed his tail and went after her, catching up with her just as she made to enter the ship's underbelly.

"You didn't think you could get away from me that easily, do you?" he asked, pinning her against the wall.

"Go on, then," she challenged, panting. "Kill me. Prove that Sovereign teaches its students things for 'a better life'."

Leviathan stared her down and raised his hand to strike – but he hesitated at the last moment. Cagn looked back at him, steel in her eyes, just half a second before she brought her knee up into his torso, hard.

Leviathan had lost his chance. He stumbled back, completely winded, as Cagn slipped out of his grasp and turned, intending to go around the corner and proceed with her mission.

She never made it.

A shocked gasp slid from her lips as she walked straight into the cruel, serrated knife of General Arn's hand. Cagn stared into her killer's molten eyes.

"I never miss twice," Arn told her, callously removing the blade from her body. Cagn crumpled to the floor, bleeding. Arn stepped over her body and looked with contempt at Leviathan. "Get up," he commanded imperiously. "You're supposed to be leading the retrieval mission, not lazing on the floor."

"What are you doing here?" Leviathan demanded, getting his breath back.

"Your mother wanted to make sure you were keeping your mind on the task," Arn said casually, turning his bloodied knife back into his arm.

Just then, Lightning and Gaia shadow phased in. Lightning stared at Arn and Leviathan, recognizing them at once, while Gaia gasped, "Cagn!" Lightning then noticed Cagn's lifeless body. For a moment, he stared uncomprehendingly at her; then he swiveled his head back to glare at Arn and Leviathan, loathing in his eyes.

"You are going to regret that." An iridescent ball of white-blue lightning appeared around his fist. Beside him, Gaia stood frozen to the spot, blank eyes staring unseeingly at Cagn.

"I think not," Arn said. "But," he added as Lightning made to attack – in his present state of enraged grief, the Winathian would probably not hesitate to go in for the kill – "you_ will_ regret attacking me."

"Oh, yeah?" Lightning challenged, his eyes flashing. "Give me one reason why."

"Because the time you spend fighting me could be put to better use." Arn smirked, smiling evilly. "Have you checked on Wayne Manor recently?"

Lightning's eyes narrowed – he was still livid, but his anger was tempered by a cold, creeping feeling of dread. "Come on, Gaia," he said, tugging her arm.

Gaia refused to move, her eyes still locked on Cagn.

"Gaia, come on!" Lightning cried. "We have to get to the Manor!"

"She's gone, Garth..."

Lightning's mouth set in a hard line. "I know, but there's no time to mourn now – we have to go!"

"Don't you even care?" Gaia demanded angrily, spinning around to face him. "Cagn is _dead_, Garth! Arn _killed _her!" Across the hallway, Arn smirked spitefully. Gaia shrieked at him, hot tears running down her cheeks.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Lightning roared back. "Believe me, I _know_. But we don't have time to go into it now, Adi – the kids at the Manor need us! Cagn wouldn't want us to fall apart – we have to save the kids! She would want us to," he finished quietly.

Gaia heaved a shuddering breath, bringing her emotions under control. "You're right," she agreed, staring hard at Arn. "You won't get away with this," she warned in a dangerous tone. "When this is over, we'll find you."

"I look forward to it." Arn smiled serenely at her.

Gaia glared at him one last time before taking Lightning's arm and vanishing into the shadows.

Arn chuckled – in his twisted way, he'd been _amused _by Lightning and Gaia's reaction. "Well, that was _quite _a show," he commented lightly, glancing at Cagn's body. "Maybe you'll see your dear children again in the afterlife, hm?" He turned to Leviathan. "Izmu and Hakuya have secured the three children, no thanks to you. Shall we go and transport them safely to location?"

"I am perfectly capable of doing my job!" Leviathan flared indignantly. "I don't need you keeping an eye on me."

"Tough. Deal with it."

* * *

_Song: Love And Loss - Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

Gaia could not remember ever moving so fast, with such a deep sense of urgency, before. After quickly warning Black Eternity and Voidfire, she had shadowphased herself and Lightning straight to the Manor, without even pausing for a breath.

It still wasn't fast enough.

They got there, followed by Black, Void, and Voltage an instant later, just as the pennitate exploded, engulfing Wayne Manor in devastating flames and sending debris and rocks flying through the air as Lightning frantically pulled her to the ground to avoid the flaming chaos.

* * *

_End Episode 8.2_


	26. Episode 8 Part 3: Calamity

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage_  
_Written by Peonywinx, with assistance from Dranzer's Inferno_  
_Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**_The Legion of Superheroes: Areté __Saga_**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 8:Casualties of War – Part 3: Calamity

_Song: The Prophecy – Audiomachine_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~Neo Gotham, Wayne Manor; 01:02~_

* * *

Wayne Manor used to be the home of billionaire Bruce Wayne, the legendary Batman – and after he died, it was inherited by Terry McGinnis, both Bruce Wayne's son and Batman's successor. The McGinnis family had kept the Manor for centuries, even though most of them didn't live in it – Alyss McGinnis' parents were the first in over two hundred years to actually stay in the mansion. When Alyss inherited it, she converted the Manor into a boarding house for orphaned kids.

Incidentally, of course, the Manor also concealed the Batcave and the rest of the Miagani Labyrinth below its foundations.

Now, all that was a blaze of heat and smoke.

Black Eternity was the first to snap out of his shock. "The children!" he exclaimed, diving forward.

"Cerah, wait!" Voidfire called, pointing at a spot near what used to be the front door of the Manor. "There they are!"

It was hard to see through all the smoke, but sure enough, there were several silhouettes visible in the haze. Two figures – most likely Alyss and Allan – were urgently shepherding the children away. Gaia quickly counted the smaller shapes and noted with relief that all twelve children were there – Alyss and Allan had managed to get them all out before the explosion set the house on fire. But surrounding them, in accents of green and yellow, stood some eighteen persons – and they were plainly not friendly.

"Neo Kobra," Black Eternity growled. He and Voidfire were gone before the others could protest. Lightning and Voltage made to follow, but Gaia's brow was furrowed.

"Adi, come _on_!" Lightning cried. "Snap out of it!"

Voltage frowned at his angry tone. "Adi?" she asked in a gentler tone, casting a pointed look in her brother's direction.

"Adi..." Lightning began, glancing at the Manor – the Dhavmere were already making life hell for the Neo Kobrans, cutting through their ranks with shadowblades and claws.

"Just give her a minute, would you?" Voltage snapped. "What is it, Adi?"

"Something's not right," Gaia muttered, half to herself. "I don't see Falcon and Crescent anywhere – Neo Kobra shouldn't have been able to get this close without tripping the sensors...unless..." Her eyes widened. "They're not after the children!" she realized with a jolt. "They want our files!" _~Falcon, Crescent, where are you?~_

_~Gaia?~ _came Falcon's voice. _~Are you here?~_

_~Yes, I'm here, and so are Black and Void – where are _you_?~_

_~Labyrinth. Northwest corner.~ _he answered. _~Have you seen Crescent?~_

_~She isn't with you?~ _Gaia sounded worried.

_~She was patrolling the garden when the pennitate blew. We haven't seen her since.~_

_~We? Who's with you?~_

_~Me.~ _said Red X. _~Is Sparky with you?~_

_~They're both here.~ _Gaia looked at Lightning and Voltage, knowing X would understand.

_~Good.~ _X paused – probably to punch someone – then continued, _~Get them to shoot up the power lines.~_

_~But that'll overload the system!~_

_~Precisely. They can't get anything from the computer if it's short-circuited.~_

_~I thought you're holding off the thugs after our files!~_

_~No, we're holding off the thugs sent to distract us. Sonia's trapped in the Cave with two other Snakes – they could access the hard drive any minute – so kill the damn circuits already!~_

Gaia glanced back at the twins and pointed at the still-unburnt garage some five yards away from the main house. "Garth, Ayla – there's a fuse box in the garage. I need you to overload it."

"You want to black out the whole Manor?" Voltage clarified.

"It's the only way to stop them from getting our files."

"What about the backup power supply?" Lightning inquired.

"Sonia can shut it down." Honestly, she wasn't sure if that was true. Sonia did have some combat training, but she wasn't a fighter – her greatest strength was her genius-level computer skills, and now she was trapped in the Batcave with two hostile Neo Kobras who likely were given orders to do whatever was necessary to get the Knights' files. Still, it was the best they had.

"Are you sure –"

"Just do it, Garth," Gaia directed, soul-shifting into a Chedaneya(1) and dashing away to look for Crescent. _And pray that it's enough._

* * *

_~New Metropolis, St. Therese's Center for Youth Welfare~_

* * *

The two Sovereign cadets slipped past the alarm system with no problem and picked the lock on the boys' dormitory. Inside, there were two rows of beds spaced evenly against the walls. All but two were occupied by sleeping boys, ranging in age from four to fifteen.

"Ready?" one cadet asked his partner. He was dressed in the typical Sovereign uniform, his eyes glowing a dim green light. His partner looked exactly like him – they were identical twins.

"Let's do it," the other twin agreed. The two brothers each withdrew a handful of hypnosis discs – just to make transporting the boys easier – started to walk around the room, but a light tap on the shoulder made one of them turn.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shadowhawk said pleasantly while Vision yanked the other twin out of the dorm.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, Representative Row~_

* * *

Eclipse gazed around at the unconscious bodies of at least ten Neo Kobras, sprawled at various points around the Row.

"Why do they always like to visit the scene of their crimes?" Silhouette sighed next to him.

"This street is a good hiding place when all the Ambassadors aren't here," Eclipse pointed out. "No one touches the houses." He turned serious. "How are things at the Manor?"

Silhouette's face was grave. "Let's find out, shall we?"

They both vanished into the night.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, New Troy Island~_

* * *

"Haven't you found it yet?" Black Lance demanded tersely, appearing behind Steel Arrow.

"I don't know exactly where it fell, okay?" she said. "You go on to the Manor without me –  
I'll join you once I find my crest."

"No way," Lance refused. "For all we know there could be more Snakes on the way. Partners stick together."

"But it's dark here," Arrow pointed out. "It could be hours before I find it."

"You have a torch."

Steel Arrow blinked. "Right," she realized, pulling it out and staring at it as if she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it. "Sorry. I guess I was so worried about the Manor that I –"

"I know."

Steel Arrow nodded. She flicked on her torch and located her Shadow Crest almost immediately.

"Let's go," she said, stowing it safely in her pocket.

* * *

_~New Metropolis, Seafront District (alternate dimension)~_

* * *

Echo Cipher sat cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed, her mind completely focused as she used her powers and experience with dimensional travel to find a way out of the alternate universe the Sovereign cadet had zapped them into.

"I don't suppose we could just shadowphase out?" Zephyrclaw asked, not very hopefully.

"We can't even make contact with the other Knights," Echo pointed out without opening her eyes. "Shadowphasing would be a death sentence."

Zephyrclaw sighed and turned to look at the sea – it was not the sea they knew, being instead a weird lime green color. The colors in this alternate dimension were much more garish than those of the real world.

"Dreyl?" he said presently, in a far graver tone of voice. Echo Cipher cracked one eye open. "Do you think the kids will be all right?"

"They'll have to be," Echo said decisively. "We'll get out of here and rejoin the other Knights, and we'll save the Manor and the kids."

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, Wayne Manor; 01:23~_

* * *

Lightning and Voltage found the fuse box exactly where Gaia said it would be.

"Would you mind telling me why you were so harsh with Adi just now?" Voltage asked acidly as Lightning flipped the catch on the door of the fuse box.

"I couldn't let her get hysterical." Lightning pulled the lid open, exposing the mass of wires inside.

"Why would she get hysterical?"

Lightning paused, sighing. "Cagn's dead, Ayla."

Voltage blinked. "What?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Arn killed her. Gaia almost lost it right then and there. I had to keep her focused." He frowned at his sister. "Please don't tell me I have to do the same for you."

Voltage pulled herself together, trying to ignore the burning tears that pricked her eyes. "No. There'll be time to mourn later." She looked at him. "But you could have been a bit gentler on Adi."

"There wasn't time! There wasn't time to do _anything_! Cagn was dead by the time we got there – we would have been better off helping here."

Voltage's expression softened, recognizing the grief Lightning himself was trying to keep down. "You're right," she said. She gestured at the fuse box. "Let's kill the power lines and stop the Snakes from getting what they want, shall we?"

Lightning nodded, and together they generated a massive surge of electricity and sent it shooting into the fuse box. It took only a short time for them to short-circuit the entire thing, and then the grounds of Wayne Manor plunged into darkness.

* * *

The sudden onslaught of shadows was a distinct advantage for the two Dhavmere Knights fighting the Neo Kobra soldiers. Nevertheless, surprisingly, at least half of them still put up a good fight – Queen Kobra's troops had obviously been training, and were probably being aided by Sovereign technology too.

"Alyss, Allan – get the kids out of here!" Voidfire instructed, fighting against five Neo Kobras at once. He and Black had managed to open a small gap in the ring of Kobrans, and Alyss and Allan were doing their best to herd the dozen terrified kids through it to safety, while the Dhavmere guarded the edges.

It was slow going – and the pitch blackness, though it prevented the Kobras from accessing their files, didn't help the kids any. A few of the younger ones were crying with fright and the older ones were trying to be brave and calm them down, which made the escape operation difficult. Alyss blocked out the chaos of the battle and bent down next to Devlin.

"Devlin, you're a brave boy, aren't you?"

Devlin sniffed and nodded, puffing his little chest out proudly. "Uh-huh."

"So I need you to help get the others to safety," said Alyss.

"How?" Devlin asked.

"You'll lead everyone to the Legion cruiser, over there." Alyss pointed. "You're going to go first, and then everyone will follow. Legionnaire Lightning will get you settled; Allan and I will be right behind you, and then we're going to get away from here. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Now when I tell you to, you're going to run right through the bad people, and don't stop, all right?"

Devlin nodded emphatically. "All right." He could do this; he knew he could. If he dared to steal and hide Allan's remote control, he could run past a couple of bad guys.

"Good boy." Alyss stood up, gauging the ever-increasing size of the gap as Black and Void took down more Kobras. "Now, Devlin! Run!"

Devlin immediately took off, sprinting through the gap as fast as his little legs would take him. One Kobra tried to make a lunge for him, but Black Eternity viciously kicked him out of the way, no longer pulling his punches like he usually did.

"Come on!" Devlin yelled; the other kids blinked once and ran after him, following him out of the ring of Kobras. Any villains who tried to stop them were ruthlessly fought off by Black Eternity.

"Go, Allan!" Voidfire ordered. The butler nodded and was about to follow the kids, but a well-placed blow from one Kobra knocked him out cold. Alyss shrieked in rage; Black Eternity wasn't far behind.

**"You will pay for that." **His voice had gone darker, deeper, and infinitely more chilling – it was the tone he used when he wanted to scare, to intimidate – yet it was somehow more real this time. Voidfire frowned at his brother. He was about to warn Black against doing anything rash when the other Dhavmere sucked the Kobra into a portal of pure black.

"Cerah, no!"

* * *

Gaia was only halfway around the garden when she heard a familiar bark from somewhere to her left.

"Duchess!" she exclaimed, seeing the dog standing by a patch of soil and debris along with a strangely irritated-looking rabbit – Carmichael. His fur looked mussed as if he had been carried. Then she caught sight of the figure lying next to Duchess, and her blood went cold.

_Not again, _she pleaded, hurrying to check on Crescent. She didn't think she could handle it if another friend was lost. To her relief, she felt a strong and steady pulse in the other Knight's wrist. Gaia had to take a moment to squash down the threatening hysteria.

_~X, Falcon – I found Crescent.~ _

_~Is she all right?~ _Falcon inquired anxiously.

_~I think so. She got knocked out by the explosion, but she looks okay. Duchess has been guarding her.~_

_~Get her somewhere safe.~ _Red X instructed.

_~You got it.~ _Gaia turned to Duchess and rubbed the dog's head affectionately, as thanks for keeping Crescent relatively safe. "Good girl."

* * *

Falcon and Red X, with the added advantage of darkness in the Miagani Labyrinth, finally managed to take down the four Neo Kobrans who'd been keeping them busy ever since the Manor had exploded. The two Knights then shadowphased into the blocked-off Batcave, just in time to see two Kobras teleporting out.

Falcon immediately rushed to the computer while Red X bent to free Sonia from the bolas twine wrapped around her.

"What happened?" the thief asked urgently, cutting through the twine with his knife. Sonia opened her mouth to answer, but Falcon beat her to it.

"They got the files."

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on!" Lightning called from the Legion cruiser, urging the twelve children, led by Devlin, to run faster. Voltage was already strapped in at the pilot's station, ready to take off at a moment's notice.

The kids had managed to get almost all the way to the cruiser before two teenagers dressed in Sovereign uniforms materialized in front of them, blocking the way to Lightning. Little Selphie barely had time to scream before the Sovereign soldiers cast a glowing net over the entire group. Seconds later, they all disappeared – cadets, net, and children all.

Lightning's howl of fury alerted Black Eternity to what had just happened. Eyes blazing and going from an angry crimson to completely glowing red, the Dhavmere totally lost control, exploding in a burst of darkness and easily taking out the remaining Neo Kobras without help from either Alyss or Voidfire. Black snarled with rage as he brutally lashed out against the enemy, crippling more than one Kobra in his anger. Even though one could not tell at first glance, at least two would never walk again.

"Cerah, stop!" Voidfire exclaimed, throwing himself onto his brother and forcibly restraining him as he stood over an unconscious Kobra. "Enough! They're all down!"

Breathing heavily, Black Eternity glared with absolute hatred at the Kobras that littered the ground before he finally managed to quell his fury. Glowering ferociously, he shrugged off his brother's arms and stalked off into the night.

* * *

_~Wayne Manor; 01:50~_

_Song: Unfinished Life – Audiomachine_

* * *

Silhouette and Eclipse arrived to find a nightmarish scene waiting for them. The fires had been extinguished, leaving the Manor a smoking ruin of rubble; there was no part of it still intact. The land around it was littered with debris, broken cement, and unconscious Kobras, whom Falcon, Red X, Voidfire, and Sonia were slowly starting to move to the med bay on the Legion cruiser; the Kobras would be given basic medical treatment and then shipped off to the nearest penitentiary. Alyss was squatting by what remained of the front porch, holding a cold compress to Allan's head and making sure a recovering Crescent didn't stand up too fast. Half the garage had been torn away by the electricity Lightning and Voltage had used to overload the power lines, and the entire compound was still in darkness, lit only by the dim lights of the emergency power supply Sonia had not managed to shut off in time.

"What happened?" Silhouette demanded anxiously as Black Lance and Steel Arrow shadowphased in.

"Where are the kids?" Eclipse asked at the same time.

"Gone." Red X was totally serious, not a hint of his usual playfulness or dry wit present. "Neo Kobra made off with our files, and two Sovereign cadets took the kids."

Exclamations of shock echoed from the four Knights who hadn't been present at the Manor. A second later, Vision and Shadowhawk appeared; Vision took one look around, her eyes flashing gold, and bit her lip. Shadowhawk, used to interpreting her expressions, didn't need to be told.

"Where's Black and Gaia?" Black Lance asked, when he didn't see either of them. "And the Ranzzes?"

"Lightning, Voltage, and Gaia went back to the docks to claim Cagn's body," Red X replied.

"Cagn's _dead_?" Black Lance said, sounding disbelieving as Steel Arrow's eyes went wide with shock. The two of them had been raised by Dhavmere – to them they were practically invincible. Red X nodded solemnly.

"Arn killed her. And Black – well, he vanished after doing...this." He waved an arm at the carnage.

"Black did this?" Lance exclaimed.

"He lost it when the kids were taken," Voidfire affirmed gravely as he approached them. "I'm going to go find him."

"Have any of you heard from Echo and Zephyr?" Eclipse inquired.

"No," Shadowhawk answered with a frown. "Why?"

Eclipse was about to explain, but just then those very two Knights materialized in the garden.

"What _happened _here?" Echo Cipher asked in horror, glancing around.

"We lost," Red X said shortly, inducing aghast looks from both Echo and Zephyr.

"Only this battle," Silhouette said firmly. "Not the war. Let's get organized so we can plan our counterattack. Void, go find Black. X, finish dealing with the Snakes – Lance, Arrow, Echo, Zephyr, help him. Vision, Shadowhawk, help Sonia retrieve anything that might be left in the Batcave and the Manor. Eclipse and I will start looking for clues." Her face was grim, her jaw set in a determined line. "We're gonna get our kids back."

* * *

_~Neo Gotham, the Docks~_

* * *

"We took her body off the ship when we ran the rescue operation," the port official was saying as he led Lightning, Voltage, and Gaia to the room. "She was the only casualty – everyone else got out okay. Here we are." He stopped in front of a door, looking a bit awkward. "I'll, um...leave you to it, then." He backed away.

Gaia inhaled deeply and looked at Lightning and Voltage. "You ready?"

Voltage looked like she was trying hard not to cry. "Yes," she whispered.

Lightning shrugged. "Let's get it over with."

Gaia placed her hand on the keypad and the door slid back.

Cagn was lying inside the small room – the port authorities had thoughtfully provided a gurney for her – her blue cloak still bloodied from where Arn had stabbed her. The three teenagers hesitantly approached the gurney and stared into her still, pale face.

For a long moment neither of them said anything; they simply bowed their heads in silent mourning. Cagn had helped them through so much, but they would be lying if they said they'd never resented her for keeping so many secrets. Eventually, Gaia spoke.

"She looks so much more peaceful now than she ever did when she was alive, don't you think?"

"I guess." Lightning's shoulders were slumped, his mood subdued. "We never actually saw much of her."

"I did," Voltage said quietly.

"I honestly don't know what I'm feeling," Gaia confessed. "For all her secrets, she did do a lot for us. She was one of Xalis' greatest helpers."

"She watched out for us, even when we didn't know it," Lightning agreed. "She was a true ally."

They lapsed into silence again, neither of them sure what to say. So many things had gone wrong in such a short time.

"I can't believe she's gone," Voltage said, her voice thick. She sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Garth, it's _Cagn _– she didn't deserve this."

"None of them did," said Lightning, instinctively wrapping his arms around his twin to comfort her. "Nisah didn't deserve it, and neither did Zen and Iduna. They were all just innocent victims of Sovereign." Unnoticed by either of the girls in the gloom, a single tear slid down his face.

"I'm scared, Garth," Gaia admitted. "Sovereign has the kids – I don't even want to think about what they'll do to them." Her eyes were wide and fearful.

"They won't do anything," Lightning promised, his eyes holding steel. "We're gonna find them and rescue them – the kids will _never _have to go through what we all did. We won't let it happen." His scar started to glow as sparks appeared around his fists. "The day is coming for Sovereign to pay for their crimes – and Arn will pay_ dearly_ for what he did to Cagn. I promise, Adi, we _will _make them pay."

"Yes, we will," Voltage agreed resolutely.

* * *

_End Episode 8.3_

Footnotes:

(1) Chedaneya – A Ceran animal similar to the Earth cheetah, the chedaneya is the fastest land mammal on Ceres. It is faster than the cheetah due to its bird-like hollow bones and balanced tail.


	27. Episode 9 Part 1: Changing Tides

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 9: Tenebrosa – Part 1: Changing Tides

_Song: Go Time – Mark Petrie_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~New Metropolis, Medical Bay, Star Pavilion; 09:11~_

* * *

The world slowly came into focus as Arctic laboriously blinked his eyes open. The hazy screen of colors soon turned into the glare of the morning sun and the white of the Pavilion's med bay ceiling.

"You're awake."

Arctic turned his head to see Gaia sitting by his bed, hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her posture was rigid; one of her feet tapped anxiously against the polished floor, and she had obviously been crying.

Arctic was about to open his mouth to say something when Gaia leaped from her chair and buried her face into his chest, her shoulders shaking with emotion.

"Gods, Arner – don't you ever, _ever_ do that again," she told him fervently. "What on _earth_ made you think you could take on Anbar alone?! You _can't_ do it again, do you hear me? I don't think I could take it – do you have any idea how _close_ you came to dy–to not being here anymore?"

Arctic exhaled, gently patting his partner on the back with one hand. Gaia shivered as his cold fingers brushed against her skin; Arctic smiled a small, wry smile.

"I know, I'm an ice age. Sorry." His apology was for both his temperature and his close call with death.

"No, don't apologize," Gaia said. "I don't think I'll ever complain about your temperature again. You were so _warm..."_ She pulled away and settled back in her chair.

"How bad was it?" Arctic asked quietly. Gaia's posture tightened.

"Bad." She sighed. "You had burns over forty percent of your body, internal bleeding, multiple lacerations, a concussion..."

Arctic blinked in surprise. "But I feel fine." He flexed his fingers into a fist easily.

_"Now_ you do. I had to do quite a bit of healing on you before Brainy could stabilize you."

Arctic winced. "Sorry," he said again.

"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for. It's Anbar who should be sorry. He's gonna pay." Gaia's eyes burned with fury; Arctic assessed her carefully.

"What's wrong, Charl?"

Gaia hesitated. Arctic's brow furrowed.

"Gaia?"

"It's the Manor," she said hollowly.

"What about it?"

"It...it was attacked."

Arctic shot upright, ignoring the flare of pain from his bruised ribs. "The kids?" he inquired anxiously.

"Sovereign used pennitate, Arner – we couldn't get there in time, and..." Gaia exhaled, trying to ignore the mask of horror on Arctic's face. "They got the kids. But don't worry," she added hastily, seeing Arctic's eye blaze. "We'll get them back. Eclipse and Silhouette are doing everything they can think of to track them down – we _will_ find them, Arner, I promise you."

Arctic took a deep breath. "How did they do it?" he asked. "How did they get through the security systems?"

Gaia bit her lip and looked away; she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Adeola," Arctic said firmly; she started in surprise at the sound of her real name. "How did they get through?"

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Cafeteria~_

* * *

Backlash rummaged through the pantry, scowling at the distinct lack of the Angus beef pie he had been saving. He was positive it had still been there last night. When his fifth search in a row came up empty, he stood straight and looked around the room.

"All right, who ate my pie?" he demanded. "Matter-Eater, was it you?"

"Oh, sure, blame the guy who can eat everything," the Bismollian said sarcastically.

"Um...you know it doesn't actually help your case if you say it like that," Ricochet pointed out from beside him.

"You're not helping, Rico."

"Did you or did you not nick my pie last night?" Backlash questioned.

Matter-Eater sighed wearily. "No, I didn't – I was on a mission. You can ask Sunflare if you don't believe me."

"Well, if you didn't eat my pie, who did?"

Matter-Eater shrugged. Ricochet grinned.

"Food has a way of disappearing in the Pavilion," he informed Backlash. "If you don't want people to eat your stuff, you shouldn't put it in the common pantry."

"Hear, hear," Matter-Eater agreed.

Just then Saturn Girl breezed past them on her way to the Founders' table, where she sat with Cosmic Wave. There was a faint trace of annoyance lingering about her. Lightning was nowhere to be seen.

"I cannot believe Garth," Saturn Girl said to Cosmic Wave, thoroughly irritated.

Cosmic Wave sighed. "What did that idiot do this time?"

"First he completely shuts me out – won't talk to me, won't let me help him; then he refuses to let me get on the cruiser to help prevent the attack on the Manor; and now he's ordered me out of the meeting he and the Knights are holding in Beta Hub – he's as good as kicked me off the entire mission."

Cosmic Wave sighed again. "Imra, he's just trying to protect you."

"I can take care of myself!"

Cosmic Wave looked at her in mild amazement. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Never mind." Cos ducked his head, avoiding his teammate's shrewd gaze.

"Rokk, are you trying to lie to a telepath?"

"I'm not trying to do anything." His gaze, when he turned it back to her, was understanding. "Give him time, Imra. He's under a lot of pressure right now, and he just doesn't want to see you hurt. Sovereign's hurt enough of his loved ones already."

* * *

_~Beta Hub~_

* * *

"We need to figure out the best way to get the kids back." Lightning stood at one end of the conference table in the Beta Hub. Eight Knights and Alyss McGinnis sat in various positions around the rest of the table, while Sonia was situated at the computer console with Vision. Allan was resting and recovering in a guest room in one of the Pavilion's apartments.

"We know they haven't left yet – they're on a Sovereign cruiser somewhere on Earth. We're still not sure where exactly that is, though," said Silhouette.

"Sonia and I are working on it," piped up Vision.

"We're scanning through footage from every camera on the globe and every satellite over it," Sonia added.

"We've also got X sourcing information from his underground network of spies and criminals, and Black and Void are jumping in and out of Sanctum trying to find the cruiser," Eclipse reported.

"And Lance is casting portal viewholes to any part of Earth he can think of," Steel Arrow threw in.

Falcon looked up from where he was calculating some figures on his wrist computer. "How many people do we have for the retrieval mission?" he inquired.

"Fifteen," Silhouette said immediately. "All the Knights."

"Sixteen," corrected Lightning. "I'll come with you."

"No,_ fifteen,"_ Eclipse insisted. "No offense, Lightning, but this is something we'd like to take care of ourselves."

"Those are our kids Sovereign nabbed," Crescent added. "That makes it personal for us."

"We'll do this our way," Echo Cipher interjected. "Sovereign is going to rue the day they ever set foot in Wayne Manor."

"Then why am I here?" Lightning asked.

"We need you to tell us everything you know about the way Sovereign works," Silhouette told him. "From what we've been able to gather, Sovereign puts some sort of quantum stasis field over its cruisers, so we won't be able to shadowphase once we get in. Therefore, for this to work – for us to get the kids out safely – we need to know _exactly_ what to expect when we infiltrate that cruiser."

"You got it," Lightning agreed. "COMPUTO, access file Sierra 10; password _Outrider Observation."_

_"Acknowledged."_

A second later a large holographic screen appeared in the middle of the table, displaying a file which consisted of multiple documents.

"These are all the notes I have on Sovereign's cruisers, attack patterns, and battle formations. Some of it used to be my homework," Lightning added wryly. "I also included all the intelligence Cagn managed to send me ever since our escape."

"Shadowhawk, you know what to do," said Silhouette.

Shadowhawk nodded and began scrolling through all the data, while the other Knights read over his shoulder and began discussing their course of action.

* * *

_~Kitchen, Star Pavilion~_

* * *

Marya Pai stared blankly at Ayla. "What?" she said flatly.

Ayla sighed sorrowfully. "Please, don't make me say it again."

"Sorry," said Marya in a low voice, "but I need to hear it again. It can't be true. Ayla, please, tell me it isn't true," she begged.

Ayla blinked back her tears. "I can't," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Marya – but Cagn's really dead."

Tears quickly and quietly filled Marya's eyes. "I can't believe it," she breathed. "I don't want to think that Cagn's…that she's never coming back. Ayla,_ I don't want it to be true!"_

Instinctively, Ayla hugged her grieving friend. "Neither do I, Marya," she agreed, as the other girl broke down and cried freely for the loss of their mutual mentor. When Red X burst into the kitchen and found them sitting there, he glanced at them quizzically.

"Why –"

_'I just told her about Cagn.'_ Ayla told him telepathically. _'Go away, X.'_

Red X shrugged sympathetically, swiped an apple off the counter, and shadowphased out.

* * *

_~NMPD Headquarters; 10:13~_

* * *

"You want me to _what?"_ Lon Norg exclaimed incredulously. His secretary, a dark-haired Bismollian, winced at his volume.

"It's not me, sir – it's the city council," she explained. "They feel that the department's relations with the Legion are not as strong as they should be, so they want you to appoint two officers as liaisons."

"I might have known Mayor Andresan would come up with something like this," Lon fumed. "I've tolerated his fondness for the Legion all these years, but now he wants me to send not one, but _two_ of my seasoned officers to live with those teenage upstarts in that whitewashed tower they call a headquarters? The thing doesn't even have a proper name! – they refer to it as if it's some fanciful architecture…"

"Star Pavilion," his secretary supplied. Well-used to the New Metropolis' police chief's temper, she wasn't fazed by the withering glare he threw her. "Regardless of your feelings on the matter, sir, these are the council's orders."

"I've already lost several Sci-Pol officers to the Legion!" Lon exploded. "Allon, Ardeen – even my own son!"

"The Legion doesn't take in non-powered individuals as members," his secretary reminded him, refraining from mentioning that Imra and Lyle had not advanced past cadet in their Sci-Pol career. "Karate Kid is the _one_ exception," she added as he opened his mouth to object. "If you select non-metas as our liaisons, there's no chance of them defecting. Sir." With a curt bob of her head, she backed out of his office.

Grumbling under his breath, Lon pulled out a data file and started looking through the profiles of his officers. He didn't like the idea, but he had to admit that having liaisons might make it easier for the police force to do their job. They could keep an eye on the Legion for him, and report their activities. But this was not something to be taken lightly; whoever he appointed liaison would have to be clear-headed, open-minded, and even-tempered – qualities he admitted he did not always have. The liaisons could not be prejudiced against the Legion – not only would that cause trouble with the council, but Lon grudgingly conceded that in the interest of fair play he could not appoint someone with obvious dislike for the Legion just to make life difficult for them. He would not stoop to that level.

On the other hand, he didn't want the position occupied by Legion sympathizers, either. Such officers would obviously take the Legion's side in any dispute they might get into with the Sci-Pol, and he needed people loyal to the force in such a crucial station.

Clearly, these two liaisons would have to be neither for nor against the Legion; they would have to be of the middle ground, neutral in their opinion. The problem was finding two such people. Ever since the Legion had been founded, there had been a divide amongst the Science Police about them – half were supportive of them, while the other half disliked them. This was even more obvious in New Metropolis, where Sci-Pol and Legionnaires clashed on a near daily basis – finding neutral officers _here…_

Lon stopped scrolling through the file, his brow furrowed slightly as he thought.

_Oh, yes, that will work,_ he decided. Pressing a button on his phone, he instructed his secretary, "Marina, call Shvaughn Erin and Gigi Cusimano to my office now, please."

* * *

_End Episode 9.1_


	28. Episode 9 Part 2: A Way Around

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 9: Tenebrosa – Part 2: A Way Around

_Song: And I Knew – Feint_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~Star Pavilion; 10:25~_

* * *

After briefing the Knights on everything he knew about the way Sovereign fought a war, Lightning decided to leave Beta Hub and leave the Batman's successors to their own devices. In all likelihood, the members of Caligine would come up with a highly effective plan without his input. He didn't know what they would do, but he was fairly certain that if anyone could hijack a Sovereign cruiser and rescue a dozen kids, it would be fifteen shadow-loving, highly skilled masters of infiltration who also happened to be royally pissed off.

Besides, Lightning had his own work to do – the Legion's training schedule might not be as rigid as before, but they were still having several combat sessions a day. Plus, he had to update Mayor Andresan, step around the Science Police, and make sure Mekt and Ayla weren't going at each other like Winathian warbulls – all the while still keeping on top of the regular running of the Legion.

As he rounded the corner, deep in thought, he almost bumped into Saturn Girl.

"Oops, sorry," he apologized, stopping mid-walk. She gave him a look and a curt nod in acknowledgment; her manner was frosty.

_Well, this is awkward,_ he thought. "Uh…" He racked his brain for something to say; he settled on, "How's Arctic?"

"A little sore, but otherwise fine," she replied. "Gaia's with him, filling him in on what's been going on."

"And Devak?"

"He keeps trying to get out of bed, but Panarsa is more than a match for him. How'd the meeting go?"

Lightning blinked, slightly put off by the sudden change in topic. "Um, fine, I think. The Knights are carrying out this mission by themselves. Sovereign made it personal for them when they attacked the Manor."

"I can imagine." It was hard to miss the cool tone in her voice. Lightning sighed.

"Imra, look, about last night…"

"I'm trying to understand, Garth – really, I am," she interrupted. "But it's hard when you keep pushing me away."

"I am not –"

"Last night?" she asked pointedly. "This morning? The past three weeks?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Lightning exhaled, taking in her challenging tone, the worry that lurked behind her rose pink eyes. He wished he could say something, anything – but for both their sakes, he knew he couldn't.

"Sorry, Imra," he said.

Her eyes narrowed; she was disappointed, but she said nothing. Without another word, she disappeared around the corner. Lightning barely had time to think about their less-than-cordial conversation before Brainiac 5's voice sounded in his head.

_~Lightning, your mother is on Communications 1.~_

Lightning guiltily remembered that in all the upheaval that was currently going on, he had been neglecting his weekly calls to his family. _~Tell her I'll be right there.~_

* * *

_~Beta Hub~_

* * *

"I know where the cruiser is," Red X announced, instantly arresting the attention of everybody in the room as he shadowphased in.

"Where?" Silhouette demanded.

"One of my contacts told me he spotted a white cruiser with a stylized blue 'SA' about ten miles east of here."

_~Lance?~_ Silhouette queried.

_~Confirmed.~_ Black Eternity's sulky voice came through before Black Lance could reply. _~Voidfire and I have visual.~_

_~Don't do anything rash.~_ Silhouette warned immediately.

_~Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays put.~_ said Voidfire; they could all hear Black Eternity glowering over the mental link.

_~You and Lance keep an eye on that cruiser and keep us posted.~_ Silhouette instructed. _~We'll contact you when we've finalized the plan.~_

_~You'd better hurry with that.~_ Black Lance suggested.

Vision shuddered, remembering how lethally Black Eternity had dealt with the Neo Kobras at Wayne Manor. "I would _not_ like to be Sovereign right now." Silhouette nodded once in acknowledgment before addressing the table.

"Alright, people, let's finish this off quickly. We have twelve kids to save."

* * *

Voidfire glanced sideways at his brother, who was staring very hard at the Sovereign cruiser parked a few miles out from their hiding place amongst the trees, as if he were burning a hole through it with his eyes. If looks could kill, every single Sovereign operative on that cruiser would be dead by now.

"Cerah..." Voidfire began cautiously. "We need to stay put. It wouldn't help to go barging in there now, you know it won't."

"Our kids are in there," Black Eternity seethed. "_Our_ kids, Kiyatso. Sovereign took them from us – robbed us of them like they've robbed so many other families."

"I know," said Voidfire, "and I know you're angry." Truthfully, 'angry' didn't even begin to cover it. Black was _livid_ – it had taken his brother two hours just to calm him down from his furious rage last night. "So am I. But we need to keep a clear head if we're going to help them."

"I'm aware of that."

Voidfire sighed and nodded. After a pause, he asked, "Cerah...we're okay, right?" Black Eternity had lashed out at him last night when he tried to talk to him. Voidfire knew it was because the elder Dhavmere had been angry and worried for the kids, but he wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between them.

Black Eternity's face softened ever so slightly. "Yes, Kiyatso," he replied, not even nearly growling like he had for almost everything else he'd been saying lately. "I apologize for the way I acted towards you last night. It wasn't my intent."

Voidfire nodded, his mind at ease. "The others will be here soon, with a plan. We're gonna get them back, Cerah. And we'll give Sovereign _hell_ for taking them."

"Yes, we will," Black Eternity agreed, his eyes glowing red for the briefest instant.

* * *

_~NMPD HQ, Lon Norg's Office~_

* * *

Shvaughn Erin and Gigi Cusimano stared at their chief of police, blinking and looking as though they couldn't believe their ears.

"I'm sorry, sir – you want us to do what?" Shvaughn asked hesitantly.

Lon scowled. "You heard me perfectly well, Erin."

"I know, sir," Gigi interjected. "It's just a little unbelievable. You actually want _us_ to become live-in liaisons with the Legion?"

"Not me," Lon corrected. "The city council. I picked you because you two are the only ones I can count on not to be either unfairly prejudiced or disgustingly accepting about the Legion. I need cool, calm, neutral heads, and you two are it."

There was a pause.

"So…when do we start?" Gigi inquired.

"Today," Lon replied. "Go home, pack your things, and get over to Legion HQ ASAP."

Shvaughn looked startled. "Today?" she repeated incredulously.

Gigi asked, "Isn't it called Star Pavilion?"

"Yes, _today,_" Norg stressed. "And don't quote that silly fairy name to me – I'll call it whatever I damn well please, and it pleases me to call it something with at least some semblance of dignity."

Shvaughn and Gigi wisely did not comment.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion~_

* * *

Lightning's worries and anxiety seemed to lift the moment he saw his mother's smiling face on the screen.

_"Garth, darling – how are you?"_ Perla Ranzz inquired affectionately.

"Hi, Mom," said Lightning. "I'm okay – pretty busy, though. Things are a little crazy over here."

_"I can imagine,"_ Perla agreed. _"I heard that Mekt and Ayla are there with you now?"_ Her voice was hopeful.

"Yeah," Lightning admitted. "Yeah, they're both here."

_"Oh, how wonderful!"_ Perla enthused, rapidly blinking back tears of joy. _"I haven't seen either of them for so long, and now they're both back – it's almost like a dream. Can I see them?"_

Lightning smiled. "Of course. I'll call them."

* * *

_~Medical Bay, Star Pavilion~_

* * *

"Lie still, Devak!" Panarsa ordered firmly, placing a restraining hand on her employer's chest and pushing him back down on his bed for the umpteenth time. An irritated Devak was forced to lie down again, his displeased frown prominent.

"Quit fussing, Panarsa!" he exclaimed, swatting her hand – to no avail.

"You are still weak from the Rakurga," Panarsa insisted, unmoved. "You are not getting out of this bed until you are restored to full health."

"I have to help the Legionnaires." Devak tried to sit up again, but Panarsa held him fast. Devak glared exasperatedly up at her. "Panarsa…"

"Devak," she returned in the same tone.

A dry chuckle from Brainiac 5 – who was standing near them, consulting the holoscreen that monitored Devak's vitals and making notes on his datapad – drew their attention.

"I suggest you listen to your assistant, Ambassador," the Coluan advised. "She and the other members of your retinue are under strict orders from your medical consultant not to allow you out of bed until the Rakurga has completely worked its way out of your system."

"And who, exactly, is my medical consultant?" Devak asked wryly.

"Myself, of course," Brainiac 5 replied calmly.

"Look, Brainiac 5, I appreciate you looking out for me, but –"

"Whether you appreciate it or not is hardly the point," Brainy cut him off. "Rakurga is an extremely potent poison, and you were injected with a high dose of it. You nearly _died,_ Ambassador. Confining you to your bed is not a matter of my overprotectiveness – it is a necessity for your well-being. Right now, only trace amounts of Rakurga remain in your system, and all harmful symptoms of your poisoning have been reversed – but that could very well change if you overexert yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

Devak blinked. "My apologies, Brainiac 5," he said humbly. "I should have remembered that you worked hard to save my life, and endangering it unnecessarily would be ungrateful of me. However," he continued, "I cannot merely lie here while you and the other Legionnaires – and the Knights of Caligine – prepare for war with a galactic menace. I feel as if I can – I should – help. You are fledglings – you are far too young to be shouldering such a burden on your own without aid."

"I understand, Ambassador," Brainy responded. "Might I point out, though, that there are things you can do to help without getting out of bed?"

Devak smiled wryly. "I suppose that'll have to do," he agreed. "Panarsa, would you please fetch me my files?"

Panarsa raised one slender eyebrow at him, her expression speaking volumes. Devak sighed.

"I swear I will not leave this bed," he promised.

"You'd better not." Panarsa rose and exited. Brainiac 5, after nodding at Devak, also left, moving to Ward 9 to check on Arctic. When he got there, it was to find Arctic hastily ripping off the wires connected to him.

"Excuse me," Brainy said pointedly. "What do you think you're doing?"

Arctic scowled. "Don't start with me, Brainy." He swung his legs out of bed and stood up, cringing only slightly at the dull throb of pain from his injuries. "Right now, the Knights are having a meeting in the Beta Hub, and I have to get there."

"You are not fully healed yet; you shouldn't be –"

"Brainy." Arctic looked seriously at him. "Did you not hear what happened to the Manor last night?"

Brainy paused slightly to switch track. "I heard, and I'm sorry, but you should not –"

Arctic shook his head. "You still don't get it, Brainy. Sovereign was able to attack the Manor because of _me_. It was _my_ head they got our secrets from – that makes _me_ responsible. It's _my_ fault the kids are now Sovereign captives, so I have to help the other Knights put it right."

"Arner, it is _not_ your fault," Gaia insisted. "It was an accident; it could have happened to anyone…"

"But it didn't," Arctic countered. "It happened to _me_. Besides, didn't you tell me all the Knights are involved in the rescue mission – including me?"

Brainy frowned disapprovingly at Gaia, who puffed out and said, "Don't bother, Brainy. I know what you're going to say."

"Then you know this is completely irresponsible."

"Look, Sovereign hit us in our home," Gaia told him. "We're not gonna take that lying down. We're gonna strike them back, and we're gonna strike hard. For that, we need all the Knights. For that, we need Arctic."

Brainy simply continued glaring at her.

"Arctic's fine," Gaia said. "I promise you he'll be okay – we won't let him get into any trouble on the mission."

"_I_ can take care of myself," Arctic said, affronted.

"You be quiet, Arner – you almost got yourself killed taking on Anbar. Look," she said, turning back to Brainy, "he's almost perfectly fine – he's only got a few injuries left. I can heal him before we go on the mission."

Brainy sighed. "I won't stop you from going," he told Arctic, "but don't say I didn't warn you. And I don't want to see you back in this med bay after you come back from your mission. Do I make myself clear?"

Arctic nodded curtly before he and Gaia slipped out the door.

* * *

_~10:53~_

_Song: Remember Me – Thomas Bergersen_

* * *

Lightning was having a very pleasant conversation with his mother while he waited for Mekt and Ayla to arrive. Perla Ranzz was the type of woman who could make you feel as if you were at home simply by telling you all the news – her memory of even the most trivial events in daily routine was marvellous.

_"…and don't forget about the Harvest Festival in July – our family is supposed to help organize that, so you'll have to come home a little early,"_ Perla was saying._ "The crop this year looks good – your father is delighted at how well they're coming up, so I think we'll have an abundant harvest this year…oh!"_

Lightning glanced behind him to see what had made his mother exclaim so; and he saw Mekt and Ayla standing awkwardly by the door.

Onscreen, Perla's hand had flown to her mouth.

Ayla smiled hopefully. "Hi, Mom," she said. She elbowed Mekt to make him mumble a greeting as well.

Lightning smiled. This was the first time their mother had seen all her three children in almost a decade – it was no wonder she was speechless.

"I'm sorry I was away so long," Ayla went on, her bright blue eyes meeting her mother's gaze squarely. "Things were happening back at school, and they needed me, and I couldn't leave, and…" She blinked back the moisture welling up behind her eyelids and sighed. "I've really missed you."

"Me, too," Mekt put in; unlike his sister, he was steadfastly looking at the floor. "Mom, I'm sorry for everything I did. If I could go back and change it all – I'd do it in a heartbeat. I would never take Garth and Ayla on that stupid joyride, and then our family wouldn't be broken, and everyone would be happy on Winath…"

_"…and Garth would never have founded the Legion and become Lightning,"_ Perla finished. Surprised, Mekt finally lifted his gaze to meet hers; her soft brown eyes stared at him lovingly. _"What happened, happened, Mekt. It's in the past. Maybe it caused suffering and unhappiness, but look what it's led to. You all gained a wonderful gift, an ability. Your brother is a Legionnaire, a hero – your sister learned things we could never teach her…and you – you've grown in ways you never would have on Winath. If we had the chance to do it over, I, for one, wouldn't change a thing."_

"You wouldn't?" Ayla asked incredulously.

Perla smiled and shook her head. _"No. We've all made mistakes, we've all suffered – but without that, we wouldn't be where we are now."_

"Yeah, we wouldn't be in the middle of a war," Garth muttered.

_"But you wouldn't have known all your close friends, either,"_ Perla reminded him. _"And you wouldn't be fighting for peace and justice like the heroes of old. I may never have imagined such a life for you, and Nath knows I worry like crazy – but I've never been prouder of you. All of you,"_ she said, looking to each of her children. _"You were separated for years, you've been through a lot – but you've made it back together again."_ She beamed warmly. _"You've become a family again."_

Garth inhaled, looking to Mekt and Ayla; Ayla smiled as she met his eyes, and Mekt offered a small, hopeful quirk of his lips.

And then, suddenly, all three of them were sharing a warm embrace, Mekt's arms wrapped around his twin siblings and intertwined with their limbs. After years of bitterness, isolation, and uncertainty, they had found each other again.

And Perla Ranzz, looking on from Winath, brushed back tears to see her dream of a reunited family realized.

* * *

_~Beta Hub~_

* * *

By the time Arctic and Gaia made it to Beta Hub, the other Knights had finished planning their strategy and were now getting ready to leave. Vision noticed them first, of course, and she inquired gently about Arctic's health.

"Gaia will heal me up in a bit," he assured them. "Are we leaving now?"

"Yes," replied Silhouette. "You're right on time. Echo and Zephyr went to prep the _Shadowracer_ – get there and get healed, then gear up. We'll meet you in ten minutes; I'll brief you on the way."

"Can't you give me the short version now, so I know what to expect?" Arctic asked.

"Simple, Frosty," said Red X, coming over from his corner. "We're gonna get our kids back."

* * *

_End Episode 9.2_


	29. Episode 9 Part 3: Conflict

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 9: Tenebrosa – Part 3: Conflict

_Song: Red Warrior – Audiomachine_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~Hell's Gate Island, New Metropolis, outside Star Pavilion; 11:02~_

* * *

Shvaughn Erin and Gigi Cusimano, each with a medium-sized luggage bag beside them, stood together on Hell's Gate Island, staring at the white wall around Star Pavilion, whose tower soared majestically into the sky and glinted in the midmorning sunlight.

"I've never been this close to it before," Shvaughn admitted to Gigi, not taking her eyes off the building.

"I have, twice," Gigi replied.

"And now we're going to be _living_ in it," Shvaughn said blankly, as if she couldn't believe it.

"It'll be an experience, to be sure," Gigi agreed. "But come on, it could be worse. Remember the short undercover mission we did on New Troy two years back? _That_ was awkward. At least we know people here. And the Legionnaires are a good sort."

"I still don't know what to think about them, Gigi."

"Well, this liaison assignment will give you plenty of opportunity to make up your mind. It'll take some getting used to, but I think we'll be surprised at how things turn out." Gigi grasped her bag handle. "You ready to go in?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Shvaughn agreed, picking up her own bag. "Let's go tell the Legion they're getting live-in liaisons."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion~_

* * *

Dream Girl walked sedately down the corridor, humming softly to herself. As she rounded the corner, she casually sidestepped to avoid colliding with Cosmic Wave, who looked rather harried.

"Dream Girl, have you seen Ultimatum?" the Legion founder queried. "He's on monitor duty today and I've been trying to find him to tell him that NMPD's sending over two liaisons to…"

"…to work with us in the Pavilion, yes, I know," said Dream Girl. "They'll be knocking on the door in a few minutes – I just sent Ulti to let them in."

Cosmic Wave blinked. "Oh. I see. Well, in that case, can you –"

"I'll help them settle in and show them around, of course."

"Thanks. Do you know where –"

"Lightning just finished talking with his mother in the Communications Hub and Saturn Girl is training with Timber Wolf and Phantom Girl."

Cosmic Wave nodded. "Thanks." Without another word, he went on his way.

Dream Girl continued her leisurely stroll through the Pavilion. She reached the entrance on the ground floor just as Ultimatum was opening the door for Shvaughn and Gigi.

"Good morning, Captain Erin, Lieutenant Cusimano," Dream Girl greeted pleasantly. "We've been expecting you."

Ultimatum kept his thoughts to himself, but he had to bite back an amused smile at the stunned expressions on the Sci-Pol officers' faces. Things were about to get interesting around here.

* * *

_~Sovereign Cruiser; 11:29~_

* * *

"I'm scared," little Selphie confided in a quavering voice to her older sister.

Mellie hugged her comfortingly even though her own heart was pounding a mile a minute with anxiety. "Shh, Selphie – it'll be okay."

"Yeah, the Knights will save us," interjected Robert, a ten-year-old boy who tried to sound as confident as he could.

"D'you think the Knights weally are Natasha and Danté and the others?" Dinah asked quietly.

There was a beat of silence.

"I don't know." Ryan, at thirteen, was the oldest of the children, but he was just as frightened as the younger ones.

The door to the room they were being kept in slid open just then, and two young adults wearing Sovereign blue uniforms entered, followed by a red-haired woman.

"Hello, children," she greeted brightly. "My name is Eve Aries – I'm the Headmistress of your new school. In a few moments this cruiser will leave Earth for Sovereign Academy, where you will become part of our new batch of students."

"You're taking us away?" Mellie asked apprehensively.

"Come now, it's only school," Eve soothed. "You'll be better off there than in a big empty house that's really only a glorified orphanage."

"But we like it dere," Devlin spoke up.

"Nonsense," said Eve. Her eyes seemed to glow slightly. "You're going to school, and you'll like it there. I promise, in a few months, you won't even miss Earth." She let that bit of news sink in before clapping her hands and saying briskly, "Now, a few ground rules before you leave. Firstly, you are now officially students of Sovereign Academy, so naturally you are expected to obey all school instructors. Secondly…"

All the lights in the cruiser blacked out just then, leaving the occupants in total darkness.

"Secondly," a new voice picked up where Eve had left off, clearly directing his statement to the Sovereign headmistress, "never, _ever_, cross the Knights."

Dinah yelped as someone grabbed her waist, pulling her to them.

"Shh!" a voice hissed.

"Demyra?" Dinah looked around blindly, trying to find the source of the familiar voice.

"Hi, Dinah," said Vision. She fitted a pair of night vision goggles over the young girl's eyes. "Stay here," she instructed, before moving on to the other children. Across the room, Shadowhawk was doing the same while the other Knights kept Eve and her Sovereign cadets busy.

"Whoa," Robert said in awe when he was able to see. "It's true! You guys are the Knights!"

"Robert, quiet," Shadowhawk instructed. "All of you, follow Demyra. I'll be right behind you. Keep close and stay together."

"What's happening?" Devlin asked.

"We're rescuing you."

* * *

Eve had gone on her guard the instant the lights went out, switching her telepathic abilities to high alert immediately. As such, she was able to sense that six Knights were all heading straight for her and her two cadets, and managed to slip out the corridor before they could reach her. She wasn't sure where the other seven Knights were, but she was willing to bet they were invading other parts of the cruiser.

The attack hadn't exactly come as a surprise – she'd been expecting some sort of retaliation after the devastating scene at Wayne Manor – but it had caught her off guard, even if only for a moment. It took a lot to startle Eve Aries; no doubt about it, the Knights of Caligine were smart, and they were good at what they did. But Eve had a few tricks of her own up her sleeve.

_~Assassins, initiate complete cruiser lockdown and defense protocol.~_ she instructed telepathically as she strode through the darkened corridors._ ~Anbar, get to the emergency generator and light it up.~_

_~Yes, Mother.~_ The lightning-wielder replied, sounding eager to get into the action.

_~Arn, mobilize the cadets – have them search the ship for the Knights and engage them in battle. Send a team to my location as well.~_

_~Understood.~_ General Arn responded.

Her orders delivered, Eve turned a corner, listening for any sign of the Knights. She didn't have long to wait; a chillingly dark voice sounded close to her ear a few moments later.

"Eve Aries."

Eve smirked. "I'd know a Dhavmere's voice anywhere," she said. "Which one are you? The optimistic one or the unstable one?"

A sudden blow caught her on the side of her head. "Neither. I'm the one who's going to make you regret targeting the children."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion~_

* * *

"Oy, Gim!"

Colossal turned to find his former partner smirking at him from across the hallway. "Gigi!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here now," Gigi told him, and she smiled in satisfaction to see the gobsmacked look on his face.

"No, seriously, Gigi – how come you're here?"

"Seriously, Gim – I live here now," she repeated. "The chief made me and Shvaughn live-in liaisons."

"No kidding?" said Colossal. "So what've you been up to, then?"

As the two friends continued to talk to each other, Shvaughn watched them from the end of the passage. Unlike Gigi, she didn't know where she stood with the Legion. Part of her still believed that despite their good intentions, they were disrupting the work of the actual police – but seeing how respectful the Legionnaires they'd met on the tour had been to them, and watching Gigi interact so comfortably with someone who had, in effect, deserted the Science Police to join the Legion, Shvaughn was starting to see a different side of the Legion.

* * *

_~Sovereign Cruiser~_

* * *

Arctic and Gaia entered the generator room just as Anbar was feeding electricity into it to bring the lights back on. The Sovereign elitist's eyes sparkled with sadistic delight when he saw them.

"So," he said to Arctic. "You didn't die."

"Guess not." Arctic's tone was hard. Anbar chuckled.

"Still, I bet you gave mountain bird a real scare when you popped out of the shadows." Lightning crackled as the lights flickered back on, illuminating the cruiser once more. "I know how badly I hurt you. Tell me the truth, mountain bird – did you cry?"

Gaia's hands curled into fists. "The only one who's going to be crying here is you, Anbar," she hissed venomously.

"Anbar, your mother wants you to…oh." General Arn stopped as he noticed Arctic and Gaia. "It's you. Here to avenge Cagn's death, then?"

"Death?" Arctic repeated, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Gaia?"

"I'll explain later." Gaia's eyes roved between Anbar and Arn.

"Oh, _this_ is interesting." Arn smirked.

"What?" Anbar inquired.

"She's trying to decide whom to attack. Both of us have hurt someone she cared about."

"Isn't that something?" Anbar cackled. "What's it gonna be, mountain bird?"

"Gaia, don't rise to his bait," Arctic warned. "We'll each take one. Gaia?" He didn't dare risk taking his eyes off the enemy, but his questioning concern was evident over the telepathic link. To his relief, Gaia seemed to be in control of herself – she was extremely angry, but she wasn't berserk.

_~I'll take Anbar.~_ she told him. _~I don't want him hurting you again. You go for Arn – he's a mercurial being, so your ice should be a negating force for him.~_

_~Got it. On three?~_

_~One, two, three.~_

They both lunged.

* * *

"Damn it!" Vision swore when they reached the back entrance hatch of the cruiser only to find it locked down. "There's no way past that without the pass code unless we can get the electricity off again."

"What about the main hatch?" Shadowhawk asked, as the kids watched them nervously.

"Too risky. Eve's guarding it personally with a group of cadets – Eclipse and Sil and Black and Void are keeping them away from the rest of the ship."

_~Shadowhawk to the Knights.~_ said Shadowhawk mentally. _~Is anyone at the generator room?~_

_~Gaia and I.~_ Arctic responded.

_~We're at the back door with the kids. It's in lockdown – we need to shut the power off to open it. Can you knock out the generator?~_

_~Not while Arn and Anbar are here.~_ Gaia replied. She sounded breathless, which meant she was probably fighting hard. _~Where's X?~_

_~I'm everywhere.~_ the thief interjected.

_~Can you slip in here and disable the generator while we keep these two psychopaths busy?~_ Gaia asked.

_~I'll be right there.~_

_~Hurry, X.~_ Vision warned. _~We've got incoming.~_

_~Protect the kids.~_ Red X said at once. _~Just sit tight – I'll get the power off in five minutes.~_

_~Make that three.~_ Vision herded the kids behind her and assumed a fighting stance as six Sovereign cadets rounded the corner.

* * *

_~Star Pavilion, Medical Laboratory~_

* * *

"Brainy? What are you doing?"

"Hello, Violet," Brainy greeted. He lifted the test tube he was holding up to the light to observe the viscosity of the liquid inside. "I'm modifying the Rakurga antidote we used on Devak in order to cure him completely."

"I thought he was recovering?" Shrinking Violet asked in confusion.

"He is, but the particular variation of the antidote we used was tailored for Starhavenite physiology, which, while similar to Thangarian biology, is not an exact match – and Rakurga is a poison that requires antidotes made specifically for the host's physiology."

"So you're making a Thangarian-specific antidote?"

"Precisely." Brainy set the test tube down and peered into a microscope. "I should be finished soon. Until I am, though, it is essential that Devak does not move too much. In fact, someone should really be keeping an eye on him at all times to make sure he doesn't do too much work on his files."

"Do you want me to help Panarsa watch him until you're done with the antidote?" Violet offered.

"I would appreciate that."

* * *

_~Sovereign Cruiser; 12:10~_

* * *

Silhouette punched one of the cadets and slammed her elbow into another. _~Vision, Hawk – have you got the kids out yet?~_

_~No.~_ Vision replied.

_~Well, what the hell are you waiting for?~_ Silhouette demanded.

_~The door's locked down.~_ Shadowhawk explained. _~X was supposed to cut the power so we could open it.~_

_~When was that?~_ Eclipse asked.

_~Ten minutes ago.~_

_~So much for "I'll get it done in five minutes".~_ Vision commented, but there was no venom in her words; instead, her tone bore a strong hint of worry – a worry that was reflected in both Eclipse's and Silhouette's faces, because they knew that something had to be wrong. Red X was a snide, stubborn, reckless man, but he was reliable – for him to fail to complete a task meant that he wasn't able to, for whatever reason.

And on a Sovereign cruiser in the middle of a war, that reason could range anywhere from an unexpected delay to death.

* * *

_End Episode 9.3_


	30. Episode 9 Part 4: Convergence

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

_**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté**__**Saga**_

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 9:Tenebrosa – Part 4: Convergence

_Song: Jump – Two Steps From Hell_

* * *

April 2nd, 3011

_~Sovereign Cruiser; 12:20~_

* * *

Gaia lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding the lightning bolt Anbar threw at her; it hit the generator instead. Gaia knew she couldn't hope for an overload to kill the thing, because this was a Sovereign Cruiser and Eve knew how unstable Anbar was – she would have protected any sensitive equipment with electric insulation. So she wasn't surprised when the generator remained completely unscathed.

She was, however, unpleasantly startled to discover that they weren't even twenty minutes into their duel, and she was already exhausted. All the healing she'd done on Devak and Arctic, and the lack of proper recovery time after that had left her significantly weakened. If she were honest with herself, she didn't know how much longer she could hold out against Anbar.

Across the room, Arctic was having the same problem against Arn. Though his ice-based abilities gave him a definite edge over the mercury shapeshifter, he was neither as quick nor as strong as he usually was. When Arn clipped Arctic on the leg and the latter was unable to dodge because of his slower reflexes, Arctic stumbled and landed heavily on his back. He rolled out of the way of Arn's follow-up punch, but Gaia could see the strain on his face.

_~Are you okay?~ _she queried in concern.

_~Are _you_?~ _he returned.

_~No.~_

_~Me neither.~ _he confessed. He barely managed to avoid Arn's sword arm. Unable to muster up a good freeze blast, he only succeeded in coating Arn's arm in a thin layer of ice, which the Sovereign General broke easily.

"I think you're running out of time," Arn said with a wicked smile.

Anbar slashed viciously at Gaia with his lightning. "You're weakening, mountain bird," he taunted. "I can see it in your eyes."

_~Gaia to the Knights – we need backup!~_

For one agonizing moment she thought no one was able to answer, that she and Arctic were on their own – but then to her relief, Falcon's voice replied.

_~Sit tight; we're on our way.~_

* * *

The battle between Eclipse, Silhouette, and the Dhavmere and Eve Aries and her squad of Sovereign cadets was evenly balanced. The Dhavmere blocked out all the lights supplied by the generator, thus allowing the Knights to work in their element of darkness; but Eve's telepathy effectively rendered that advantage moot, as she was able to locate them without the aid of her sight. She was also able to coordinate her cadets into an efficient fighting force.

The result was a battle that kept the main entrance hatch inaccessible to anybody. Eclipse and Silhouette were everywhere at once, slashing down Sovereign cadets while Voidfire wove in and out of their ranks, taking down cadets even as he tried to contact the missing Red X. Black Eternity, however, was focusing solely on Eve, occasionally reaching out to strike a cadet who got too close to him.

"You will never win, you know," Eve said conversationally as she parried blows from Black Eternity. The Dhavmere's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Evil never wins," he said simply.

"No?" Eve challenged. "Let's see…Cagn is dead, your headquarters is destroyed, your files and children are in Sovereign custody, and despite this admirable rescue mission, you still aren't able to get them out. Oh, and let's not forget that our side nearly killed both Arctic and Devak Mal."

"Winning battles," Voidfire said, popping up suddenly beside his brother, "does not mean you will win the war."

"It does if we keep winning." Eve smirked.

"Not today."

* * *

The Sovereign cruiser was designed such that there were only two entrance hatches and two main corridors that a person had to go through to get from one to the other. Knight pairs Echo Cipher and Zephyrclaw and Black Lance and Steel Arrow had taken advantage of this design to create bottlenecks in the middle of both passages, preventing Sovereign forces from moving between entrances and keeping the battles at the front and back hatch more or less contained.

After about half an hour of this, both pairs had succeeded in clearing the middle compartment of the cruiser of any fighting force. To be fair, their job had been made easier by the fact that they'd been facing only cadets, and only a few had been able to attack them at a time.

_~Black Lance to Echo and Zephyr.~ _said Lance as Steel Arrow knocked the last cadet unconscious with the hilt of one of her daggers. _~We're clear.~_

_~We're clear here, too.~ _Echo Cipher replied.

_~Good.~ _interjected Eclipse. _~Echo, Zephyr, you two go back up Vision and Shadowhawk. Lance, Arrow, find X.~_

_~Got it.~ _Steel Arrow agreed.

_~Be careful.~ _Silhouette cautioned.

* * *

Crescent and Falcon crept through the cruiser, sticking to the shadows as much as possible with the lights still on.

"Do you have a plan?" Crescent asked her partner.

Never one to waste words, Falcon replied, "Get in. Knock out the generator. Get the kids out. Disappear."

"You might need to add one more step to that plan," a woman's voice said pleasantly. Crescent and Falcon, just ten yards away from the generator room, looked up to find their way blocked by the Assassins. "And then discard the rest of the steps, because your plan ends here, with you" – Silver Slasher pointed one long claw at the two Knights – "dying."

* * *

_~Star Pavilion~_

* * *

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" the young man asked as he dropped down beside Shvaughn, who had been silently marveling at the Pavilion.

"Oh, uh, hi." Drawn out of her thoughts, Shvaughn looked at the Legionnaire; he was one of the few she hadn't seen on their tour. "Alchemist, right?"

"Yes. You must be Captain Erin."

"That's me." Shvaughn thought better of it, and added, "Although, you could just call me Shvaughn. If I'm going to be living here, we might as well start building a good working relationship."

"Indeed," Alchemist agreed. "Lieutenant Cusimano seems to be having no problems – I just saw her talking a mile a minute to Kinetix."

Shvaughn smiled wryly. "Yeah, Gigi's quite an extrovert. Plus, once she got over the shock of it, she was pretty excited about working with the Legion."

"But you weren't," Alchemist surmised.

Shvaughn tried to backpedal. "Well, I mean, I don't _mind_, but…" She shrugged helplessly.

"It's all right." Alchemist smiled knowingly. "A lot of Science Police aren't too fond of us. We're used to it."

"It's not that I don't like you," Shvaughn clarified. "I just don't know what to think of you. I realize I have to get my feelings about the Legion sorted out soon, because of my liaison duties – so I've been trying to think."

"Would you rather think alone, or may I tell you what I think?"

Shvaughn spread out her hands. "Shoot."

"The way I see it," said Alchemist, "is that the Science Police and the Legion both want the same thing. We both want to safeguard the galaxy against threats. We just have different ways of doing it."

"Yeah, that's what Gigi said too."

"Then let me go a step further. The Science Police and the Legion are like two different branches of the same law enforcement agency."

"Yeah?" said Shvaughn. "How so?"

"We take care of different threats," Alchemist explained. "The Sci-Pol handle the crimes and emergencies that happen on a regular basis, and the Legion steps in to take care of large crises like the Tamaran-Thanagar conflict and this war against Sovereign. A similar comparison would be the U.S. state police force and FBI of the 21st century."

"All right, I think I'm getting it. Go on."

"We complement each other," Alchemist said. "Each one makes the other more effective. Most of us just haven't realized it yet, but if we were to truly understand each other's position and motives, and make a concerted effort to work together, we could form a partnership that every criminal in the galaxy fears."

Shvaughn thought about that. "So you're saying…all the problems and issues we have with each other, all the differences…that could all be solved by better communication?"

Alchemist nodded. "Yes."

Shvaughn exhaled. "Thank you, Alchemist," she said sincerely.

"Did I help?" he wanted to know.

"More than you know." Shvaughn realized that thanks to him, she now knew where she stood.

Alchemist's words had convinced her that the Legion did good, and that its only problem was a lack of mutual understanding with the Science Police. However, as a liaison, Shvaughn was going to do her darnedest to change that.

* * *

_~Sovereign Cruiser; 12:27~_

* * *

Vision and Shadowhawk were extremely relieved when Echo Cipher and Zephyrclaw showed up to reinforce them.

"Need some help?" Echo asked.

"Please," Vision replied.

Zephyrclaw spun a mini-twister into being to form a temporary air shield between them and the Sovereign cadets. "Kids, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied.

"I wanna get _out_!" Selphie cried.

"Soon," Echo promised.

"Crescent and Falcon are on their way to the generator room, but we can still try to open the door," said Zephyr. "Vision, if we keep the cadets off the kids, do you think you can crack the pass code?"

"I can try," she said dubiously. "But I'm making no promises."

"Understood."

* * *

Crescent cried out as Titania flung her vigorously into the wall. As Silver Slasher charged at her, she kicked off from floor and backflipped over the Assassin leader, landing on Neutrax's hovering chair.

"Get off!" he hissed at her, trying and failing to nullify her abilities.

"Oh, you're the power-negator," Crescent realized. She delivered a right cross to his face. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have any powers."

"That doesn't stop me, love," said Mist Master as he transformed into a thick, smoky gas. Blinded, Crescent didn't see the punch Neutrax threw at her.

Meanwhile, Titania and Silver Slasher had moved on to Falcon, with Lazon for backup. Lazon transmuted into a burning ray of light while Slasher and Titania attacked simultaneously from opposite directions. Falcon ducked under Lazon and deflected Titania, but Silver Slasher pinned him to the ground. She raised her hand to strike, but was stopped by a batarang from Crescent. Her momentary distraction was all Falcon needed to kick her off him and slide off the floor.

Nevertheless, considering the power of the Assassins, the two Knights were badly outnumbered. The Assassins soon had them backed into a corner, with no route of escape.

"End of the road, Bats." Titania smirked.

Crescent was forced to admit the truth of her words. She and Falcon had nowhere to run, and all five Assassins were advancing on them. They could try to fight their way out, but the odds were that they wouldn't make it.

To make matters even worse, things appeared to be going badly for the other Knights too.

_~Hawk's down!~ _came Vision's panicked voice.

This was quickly followed by Arctic's anxious shout of "Gaia!", which Crescent and Falcon heard both from the nearby generator room and over the mental link.

_~I need backup and I need it NOW!~ _Arctic yelled.

Making up his mind, Falcon, reached into his utility belt and withdrew a bracer with a green stone set in it. Deliberately clapping it over his non-dominant right arm, he instructed Crescent, "Get back."

"Falcon, what are you doing?" she questioned in confusion.

"Something desperate," he replied. He raised his arm and closed his right hand into a fist. The green stone in the bracer glowed; an instant later, it shot out five blasts of concussive light, each one hitting an Assassin directly, knocking them against the opposite wall and rendering them instantly unconscious.

"Oh, my God!" Crescent exclaimed. "Falcon, what the hell was that thing?!"

"Tamaranean…sunband." Falcon slumped against the wall, his right arm hanging uselessly by his side. Crescent knelt beside him in concern.

"I'm fine." He sounded anything but, but when Crescent tried to protest, he flapped his left hand at her. "Hurry, disable the generator."

Nodding, she took off at a run for the door, hoping her partner hadn't just done something too dangerous.

* * *

"Any sign of him?" Black Lance asked as he scoured the corridor, looking for any hint of Red X.

"No." Steel Arrow sounded frustrated. "Dammit, where the blazes is that thief?!"

Lance was silent. "You don't think he…you know…"

In response, Steel Arrow slapped him. "Don't even think that," she ordered. "We'll find him. We have to."

Lance nodded. "Let's try the next aisle."

They turned the corner, and then they finally saw their missing Knight. Red X was sprawled out on the floor, unconscious.

"X!" Steel Arrow cried, rushing to him.

_~We found him.~ _Black Lance reported.

_~Is he all right?~ _Silhouette demanded.

_~He's unconscious, but he looks unharmed otherwise.~_

_~Get him and get to the back hatch – we'll meet you there. Crescent's in the generator room now – the instant the lights go off, we need to move.~_

_~Roger that.~ _Lance concurred.

Meanwhile, Steel Arrow was shaking Red X awake. "X, you okay?"

"Ugh, my head," the thief complained.

"What happened?"

"Our dear Assassin Titania clobbered me straight on as I was on my way to the…holy nass!" He shot bolt upright and glanced at the lights. "The generator!"

"Crescent's working on it," Lance told him. "Silhouette wants us at the back hatch with the others ASAP."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Red X demanded, jumping to his feet. "Let's go!"

* * *

Arn and Anbar were concentrating on Arctic, who was trying to protect his half-conscious partner – so it was a simple matter for Crescent to infiltrate the generator room unnoticed. She nodded in response to Arctic's questioning glance.

_~Get ready to move.~ _With that warning, she tossed a grenade at the generator.

* * *

When the generator exploded, the effect was instantaneous. The lights blacked out, and all over the cruiser, the Knights sprang into action. Crescent and Arctic grabbed Gaia and ran out of the generator room, picking up Falcon along the way. Eclipse, Silhouette, Black Eternity, and Voidfire leaped over Eve Aries and raced towards the back hatch. Zephyrclaw kept the cadets away with more tornadoes as Vision and Echo Cipher led the kids out to the Knights' cruiser, which they had parked nearby. When Black Lance, Steel Arrow, and Red X arrived, they incapacitated the last of the cadets and pulled the injured Shadowhawk to the safety of their cruiser.

"Are all the kids in?" Red X demanded when he climbed into the _Shadowracer_.

"All in," Vision confirmed as Echo and Zephyr started the engines.

_~The kids are secured.~ _Red X reported to the Knights still inside the Sovereign cruiser. _~Now get your asses out of there on the double!~_

Crescent and Arctic were the next to arrive, each supporting their respective partners. Eclipse, Silhouette, and the Dhavmere appeared several seconds later, closely trailed by an enraged Eve Aries.

"Go, go!" Eclipse urged as Black Eternity and Voidfire cast darkfields to prevent Eve from stopping their escape.

Without further ado, Zephyrclaw slammed the throttle forward, and the _Shadowracer _took off, the Knights making their escape with all twelve kids safely rescued.

Eve, seething from the ground, was granted one last message from Black Eternity.

_~Beware, Eve – now _we _have won a battle.~_

* * *

_~The _Shadowracer_, 12:48~_

* * *

"Status report," Silhouette ordered.

"Hawk's okay," Vision reported with a glance at her partner, who was clinically wrapping up his injured leg.

"We're all right," Echo Cipher confirmed, speaking for herself and Zephyrclaw.

"So are we," Black Lance put in for him and Steel Arrow.

"X?" Silhouette questioned.

"Got a big bump on my noggin and one helluva headache, but I'll live."

"Good." Silhouette turned to Gaia. "What happened?"

"Anbar managed to get a hit in," Arctic responded, tending to Gaia's electric burns.

"Quit fussing," she snapped at him. "He didn't get me nearly as bad as he got you. I'll be fine in a few days."

"You were practically falling over on your feet during the battle," Arctic argued.

"So were you!"

"_Both _of you, you're on R&R for at least a full week once we get back," Silhouette told them. "You're both exhausted, and you need to recover. No exceptions." She moved on to the final casualty, Falcon. "Now, what exactly is wrong with _you_?"

When Falcon didn't answer, Silhouette turned to Crescent for an explanation.

"I'm not really sure," the other Bat admitted. "The Assassins had us cornered, and we had no way out, so he used –"

Black Eternity, meanwhile, had spied the bracer on Falcon's right arm. Ripping it off, he held it up and asked coldly, "What. Did. You. Do?"

"I had to do it," Falcon defended as Eclipse, Silhouette, Red X, Black Lance, and Voidfire all stared agog at the bracer.

"Falcon," Silhouette began in a carefully controlled voice, "please tell me you _did not _use that."

"We were in a desperate situation!" he exclaimed. Then he grimaced as his right arm throbbed with pain.

"A Tamaranean sunband?" Silhouette's voice took on a dangerous tone. "You used a _Tamaranean sunband_!? You _know _it's incompatible with non-Tamaranean physiology! You could have killed yourself!"

"Anybody care to fill me in?" Crescent asked irritably.

"Tamaranean sunbands are designed to help Tamaraneans dispel concussive light from their bodies," Voidfire explained. "The light does not come from the sunband itself. In using this, Falcon placed himself at great risk by forcing his body to generate light to fight off the Assassins."

"Not just that," Eclipse added. "But it could impair his ability to shadowphase, and he definitely won't be able to use the firing arm for a few weeks."

"Hence why I used my right arm," Falcon gritted.

"You…" Crescent stared at him incredulously. "You _idiot_!"

Falcon sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"Hell, no," Red X replied. "And you guys call _me _the insane one."

Silhouette barked, "Falcon, the instant we get back, you are to report to Brainiac 5 for medical treatment – and you are to do whatever he tells you. I don't care if he confines you to bed and says you need to sleep for a week – you're going to do it! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Falcon mumbled.

"And Falcon?"

"What?"

Silhouette's face softened. "Thank you." At his quizzical look, she elaborated, "It was a dangerous, crazy thing to do, but if you hadn't done it, we might not have succeeded. So thank you."

Falcon blinked. "Welcome."

"Get some sleep," Eclipse told him. "You'll need it."

Dinah crawled out of her seat and tugged on Vision's arm. "Are we goin' home now?"

"No, sweetie." Vision cuddled the three-year-old. "Not home. Home was destroyed, remember?"

"So where are we going, then?" Robert questioned.

Red X grinned. "We're going to Star Pavilion."

* * *

_End Episode 9.4_


	31. Episode 9 Part 5: Epilogue

A Collaboration by the Star Quill Society (SQS)  
_Developed and Produced by Mirror's Mirage and Peonywinx_  
_Written and Edited by Peonywinx_

_ENAET: Earth North American Eastern Time, 24 Hour Clock, No Daylight Savings Time_

* * *

**The Legion of Superheroes: Areté Saga**

**Season Two: Sovereign of the Storm, Part 1**

Episode 9: Tenebrosa – Epilogue

_Song: The Funeral – Nina Nesbitt_

* * *

April 3rd, 3011

_~New Metropolis, East Albert Cemetery, Hell's Gate Island; 11:01~_

* * *

The breeze blew gently, bending the grass blades and making wisps of hair fly about. Four young adults stood side by side over a fresh grave. The other Knights and Legionnaires had already paid their respects at the funeral earlier, but these four had known the deceased woman far more personally than anyone else.

"I still can't believe she's gone," Marya said sadly, staring at the inscription on the otherwise plain headstone.

Ayla pulled her coat tighter. "At least we could bury her properly. Not like Nisah," she added unhappily.

Garth reached out and arm and pulled her close. "She would be proud of you, Ayla," he murmured.

"You too," she returned.

"She would be proud of all of you," Voidfire said, suddenly materializing along with his brother.

"What are you doing here?" Adeola questioned.

"Cagn was a Dhavmere, Adeola," Voidfire pointed out. "And Black and I worked with her. She deserves our remembrance."

A few minutes passed in silence before Ayla asked, "So what happens now?"

"Now? Nothing," Black Eternity replied. "We rescued the children, but we lost a great deal of important files to Sovereign. Likewise, Sovereign has suffered a great blow because we neutralized an entire cruiser of cadets. There will be no fighting for a while."

"But the war's not over yet, is it?" Marya guessed.

"Not by a long shot," Black Eternity answered. "This is a ceasefire, nothing more. In a few months, after both sides have had time to regroup, the battles will begin again."

"And we'll be ready," Garth declared. "We will win this war." His eyes met Adeola's. "We'll win it for Cagn…"

"…for Zen and Iduna…" She nodded.

"…for Nisah and Xalis…"

"…for the Outriders of Dawn…"

"…and for every kid in the galaxy," Garth finished. He rested his hand on the gravestone. "I promise, Cagn, we'll win this war."

"We'll make Sovereign history," Ayla agreed.

Their promise made, they left, heading back to Star Pavilion, each one of them resolved that when the final confrontation came, one way or another, they would be victorious.

* * *

_End of Season Two: Part 1_

**_On behalf of the Star-Quill-Society, we would like to thank our loyal viewers for sticking with us so far. Don't despair though, Sovereign of the Storm is not yet finished, stay tuned for Sovereign of the Storm Part 2, coming in 2014! (Maybe sooner if all goes well) ;)_**


End file.
